France municipal elections: left holds major cities while far-right expands in mid-sized towns

France’s municipal election run-offs saw a strong showing for the moderate left in the country’s largest cities, while the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) consolidated in some mid-sized towns and the centre and moderate right maintained key strongholds.

In the capital, socialist Emmanuel Grégoire won with 53% of the vote, defeating right-wing Rachida Dati and far-left candidate Sophia Chikirou. 

Lyon’s mayor Grégory Doucet (ecologist/allied left) was re-elected, while in Marseille, incumbent Benoît Payan (socialist) comfortably held off RN challenger Franck Allisio after La France Insoumise (LFI) withdrew its candidate. 

Far-left victories were largely symbolic, limited to towns such as Roubaix, Saint-Denis, Montreuil, and Saint-Paul (La Réunion), underscoring the party’s marginal position in France’s major urban centres.

Indeed, across France’s largest cities, the results point to a containment of both the far-right and the hard left.

This contrasts with the first round on March 15, when both parties advanced significantly, raising expectations of wider breakthroughs in the run-off.

RN ally wins Nice but far-right falls short in big cities

The most significant result for the far-right came in Nice, where Republican Eric Ciotti, a close ally of the RN, claimed a landmark victory with around 47.7% of the vote, ahead of incumbent mayor Christian Estrosi. The result marks one of the party’s most significant urban gains.

However, this success was offset by defeats in several key contests.

In Marseille, RN candidate Franck Allisio was soundly beaten, with incumbent mayor Benoît Payan re-elected on more than 54% against 39% for the far-right. 

In Nîmes, another closely watched race, the RN also fell short, losing to a united left-wing list.

In Toulon, RN candidate Laure Lavalette was defeated despite a strong score of more than 47%, underlining the party’s continued difficulty in converting high vote shares into outright victories in larger cities.

Nonetheless, the RN won many mid-sized towns including Carcassonne (Aude), Agde (Hérault), Liévin (Pas-de-Calais), Saint-Avold (Moselle), La Flèche (Sarthe) and Tarascon (Bouches-du-Rhône).

These results broadly reflect the first round, where the RN made strong gains in smaller towns but struggled to dominate major urban centres.

LFI: isolated gains but limited urban success

For LFI, the results show a similarly mixed picture.

The party secured a clear win in Roubaix, where MP David Guiraud was elected mayor with more than 53% of the vote, confirming its strength in certain urban constituencies.

However, it failed to replicate this success in several key battlegrounds. 

In Paris, LFI candidate Sophia Chikirou finished a distant third with under 10%, as Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire won comfortably with more than 53% against Rachida Dati.

In Lyon, an alliance between the Greens and LFI helped secure victory for incumbent mayor Grégory Doucet, but the result reflects a broader left-wing coalition rather than a standalone LFI breakthrough.

Elsewhere, alliances involving LFI proved inconsistent. In Limoges and Toulouse, left-wing coalitions including the party were defeated by right-wing candidates, reinforcing criticism from Socialist figures that such alliances can cost votes.

Fragmentation and alliances decisive

As anticipated, alliances between the two rounds played a decisive role.

In several cities, left-wing mergers helped block the RN, notably in Nîmes and Marseille. In others, divisions weakened the left, while the RN struggled to attract sufficient second-round support beyond its base.

The overall picture is one of continued political fragmentation, with no single bloc dominating across urban France.

Taken together, the results suggest that while both the RN and LFI have consolidated their presence, particularly at local level, their ability to win and govern major cities remains limited.