Far-right and far-left parties both made notable advances in the first round of France’s municipal elections on Sunday March 15, setting up a series of tight races in major cities ahead of the decisive second round on March 22.
About 48.7 million voters were called to the polls across 34,875 communes for this first round of voting, with turnout estimated at 56%*.
The first round determines which candidates qualify for the decisive second round on March 22, when up to three or more can remain on the ballot if they pass the 10% threshold required to stay in the race.
Candidates who win an outright majority in the first round do not need to face a second vote.
The results of the first round began to filter through from 20:00 after the vote.
They suggest growing local momentum for both the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) and the far-left La France insoumise (LFI), while traditional parties and centrists face fragmented contests in many cities.
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Tight races in major cities
Several large urban centres remain tightly contested before the second round.
In Lyon, the Green mayor Grégory Doucet narrowly leads with 37.36% of the vote, just ahead of centre-right challenger Jean‑Michel Aulas, the former head of Olympique Lyonnais, on 36.78%. LFI candidate Anaïs Belouassa‑Cherifi secured 10.41% and could remain in the race.
In Paris, Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire came first with 37.98%, ahead of conservative Rachida Dati on 25.46%. The contest could turn into a five-way runoff, with LFI’s Sophia Chikirou, centrist Pierre‑Yves Bournazel, and Sarah Knafo of Reconquête all surpassing the threshold to stay in the race.
In Marseille, the Socialist mayor Benoît Payan narrowly led the RN candidate Franck Allisio, with 36.7% to 35.02%. Both LFI candidate Sébastien Delogu (11.94%) and conservative Martine Vassal (12.41%) qualified for the second round, raising the possibility of complex negotiations on the left.
Note that the these results differ slightly to the graphic below, which was based on earlier data.
LFI breakthrough in urban areas
LFI figures hailed what they described as a strong advance in cities. Party coordinator Manuel Bompard said the movement would be present in “hundreds” of second-round contests.
In Roubaix, LFI MP David Guiraud secured around 46% of the vote and could win the mayoralty next weekend. In Saint‑Denis, the party also finished well ahead and could capture the town hall outright.
Analysts said the party had focused its campaign on poorer urban districts and younger voters, areas where it has performed strongly in recent national elections.
Note that the figures cited in text below differ slightly to the graphic here due to timing as more votes are finalised.
RN consolidates local footholds
The RN also celebrated early victories. Mayors in several towns were re-elected in the first round, including Beaucaire, while Louis Aliot secured re-election in Perpignan with 50.61% of the vote.
Party leader Jordan Bardella said the party would seek alliances with “sincere right-wing lists” for the runoff.
Alliance tensions on the left and centre
The results also exposed divisions among mainstream parties. Socialist leader Olivier Faure rejected any national agreement with LFI, despite calls from the radical left for an “anti-fascist front” against the RN.
Centrists from Renaissance, led by Gabriel Attal, likewise ruled out alliances with either the far right or far left, though they said local arrangements might be considered to block extremist victories.
The final outcome will depend on negotiations over the coming days.
Candidates have until Tuesday evening to submit revised lists for the second round, which will determine control of mairies across France.
