France holds municipal elections ahead of 2027 presidential race
- First seen
- First seen: March 15, 2026 at 06:06 AM UTC
- Last updated
- Last updated: March 20, 2026 at 12:03 AM UTC
- Activity score
- Activity score: 0.49
- Article count
- 12 articles
Overview
Location
Coordinates: 48.9000, 2.3000
View on mapRelated Articles
French Socialists split over alliance with hard-left party in mayoral runoffs
Several candidates from France’s mainstream left have joined forces with Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed to boost their chances in mayoral runoffs on Sunday, even as others reject any association with the hard-left party, exposing a deepening divide in the French left ahead of next year's presidential election.
France 24 WorldMarch 19, 2026 at 09:20 PM UTC‘Unpleasant surprises’: Will key French cities elect far-right mayors?
Before next year’s presidential race, local elections which conclude Sunday indicate fractured political landscape.
Al JazeeraMarch 19, 2026 at 07:21 AM UTC'Macron alone in his tower': No candidates defending his govt or mandate in France's local elections
Mark Owen is pleased to welcome Renaud Foucart, Economist, Author and Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University. He would argue that these elections should not be read as a clean national barometer of French politics. What they reveal instead is the fragmentation between national narratives and local electoral realities: Macronism lacks a meaningful local defence, the far right is unevenly rooted, the traditional parties remain resilient municipally, and the far left often has influence without outright control. From that perspective, the real significance of these elections lies in who can translate local legitimacy into longer-term national momentum ahead of 2027.
France 24 WorldMarch 17, 2026 at 08:00 AM UTCFrench mayoral elections: Fractured vote reshapes alliances ahead of runoff
France’s first round of mayoral elections has exposed a deeply fragmented political landscape, with strong performances from both the hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) and the far-right National Rally (RN) complicating traditional alliances. As candidates gear up for next Sunday’s runoffs, negotiations, withdrawals and refusals to team up are reshaping the electoral map across the country.
France 24 WorldMarch 16, 2026 at 09:07 PM UTC'Hard to draw conclusions for presidential election' from French municipal vote
The race for Paris mayor looked uncertain on March 16 as a right-wing former minister hoping to wrest control of the French capital from the left claimed she had gained key support for the second round of the mayoral polls. The French elections is largely seen as a test for the 2027 presidential election. But for FRANCE 24's Marc Perelman, it is still hard to draw conclusions a year beforehand.
France 24 WorldMarch 16, 2026 at 03:14 PM UTCWhat to know from the first round of France's municipal elections
In France's municipal elections the far right National Rally is gaining momentum, and France Unbowed has made a breakthrough. Both parties treated the municipal elections as a test-run for the presidential race and emerged strengthened from the first round. The left held its ground particularly in Paris, Marseille and Lyon. Here are the key takeaways.
France 24 WorldMarch 16, 2026 at 02:59 PM UTCParis looks at five-way race for new mayor
In Paris, the much anticipated results from the first round of the municipal election are in, with Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire in the lead. Reflecting the importance of the election, voter turnout in the capital exceeded the national average, reaching 58.8%.
France 24 WorldMarch 16, 2026 at 11:24 AM UTCFar-right and left make major gains across France in mayoral election
French municipal elections on March 15 gave political parties an early test of their electoral machines before next year’s presidential race, with a first round of voting for mayors and their teams across France. Although largely focused on grassroots concerns, the voting was being scrutinized for hints of whether the far-right National Rally party of Marine Le Pen is continuing to gain ground.
France 24 WorldMarch 16, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTCFirst-round of French local elections sees strong showing for National Rally and LFI
Far-right and radical left parties likely to increase their local presence in advance of next year’s presidential race The first-round of the French municipal elections have seen a strong showing for Marine Le Pen’s far-right the National Rally (RN), as well as for Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s radical left, with both parties likely to increase their local presence ahead of next year’s French presidential race. The French local elections, which now go to a final round runoff on 22 March, are seen as a crucial test of the political temperature before next year’s presidential election. Emmanuel Macron’s two terms in office come to an end in spring 2027 and there is uncertainty about who will next lead the EU’s second-largest economy. Continue reading...
The Guardian WorldMarch 15, 2026 at 10:26 PM UTCVoter turnout reaches 48.90% in France's first round of local elections
Voters are going to the polls Sunday in the first round of municipal elections to choose leadership teams across France, from small villages to the biggest cities — a test for political parties' electoral machines before next year's presidential election for the successor to President Emmanuel Macron. Details by FRANCE 24 journalist Antonia Kerrigan.
France 24 WorldMarch 15, 2026 at 04:47 PM UTC