The first round of France’s municipal elections on Sunday 15 March produced a mixed but politically significant set of results, with the far-right National Rally making gains in several key cities, the Socialists holding ground in major urban centres, and the wider left and centre remaining competitive ahead of next Sunday’s run-off. The vote is already being read in France as an early political test before the 2027 presidential election.
National Rally claimed one of its most decisive first-round successes in Perpignan, where it held the city outright. The party also posted strong performances in Fréjus and Hénin-Beaumont, while in Marseille, Nice and Toulon it either made further advances or remained in serious contention.
Marseille was one of the night’s most closely watched contests. Exit polls showed incumbent mayor Benoît Payan and National Rally candidate Franck Allisio running neck and neck in the first round, highlighting the city’s importance for both the left and the far right. With no clear margin between them, Marseille is set to become one of the defining battlegrounds of the second round.
In Paris, Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire finished clearly ahead of Rachida Dati of Les Républicains. Early live reporting from Le Monde put Grégoire on 36.5 per cent and Dati on 24.9 per cent, while a later Le Monde report gave updated figures of 38.04 per cent for Grégoire and 25.41 per cent for Dati. The result places the Socialists in a strong position in the capital going into the second round, although further negotiations among eliminated candidates may still influence the final outcome.
More broadly, the first round showed that the French left remains divided, but still electorally relevant. La France Insoumise performed strongly in several cities, while in a number of urban contests Socialist and hard-left candidates competed directly for the same electorate. That fragmentation may complicate second-round deal-making, particularly where both camps are seeking to block National Rally advances.
The presidential centre also turned in a mixed performance. Former prime minister Édouard Philippe led in Le Havre, and centrist or Macron-aligned candidates remained competitive in some cities, but were clearly weaker in others. The results suggest that the centrist bloc still retains important local strongholds, though it no longer sets the pace across the municipal landscape.
One of the wider themes of the election was turnout. Le Monde reported abstention at between 41.5 and 44 per cent, an unusually high level outside the exceptional circumstances of the 2020 pandemic election. Even so, turnout was somewhat better than in the Covid-disrupted municipal vote six years ago. Analysts linked the abstention rate to long-term political disengagement, though the stronger participation in some major cities indicated that competitive races can still mobilise voters.
The main political significance of the first round lies less in any single municipal result than in the broader national pattern. National Rally has shown that it can translate national support into credible local contests in major cities. The Socialists have demonstrated continued resilience in places such as Paris. The hard left remains capable of advancing in urban constituencies. The centre, by contrast, appears dependent on local personalities rather than broad momentum.
That leaves the second round, scheduled for Sunday 22 March, as the decisive stage. Much will depend on withdrawals, mergers of candidate lists, and tactical voting designed either to consolidate support or block National Rally. The first round clarified the political balance but did not settle the outcome in several of the most important cities. The run-off will therefore be watched not only for control of town halls, but also for what it reveals about the shape of France’s presidential race next year.
