French Local Elections See Strong Comeback for Traditional Left and Right Forces

Paris. Traditional leftist and right-wing forces have made a strong comeback in the second phase of local elections held in France.

In the capital Paris, the Socialist Party's Anne Hidalgo secured a resounding victory, while the right-wing National Rally (RN) achieved significant success in Nice, the country's fifth-largest city. The results from the voting in over 1,500 communes signal a new polarization in French politics.

The 48-year-old Hidalgo, elected Mayor of Paris, led a joint list of traditional leftists, the Green Party, and Communists. According to exit polls, she defeated conservative rival Rachida Dati by securing 51 to 53 percent of the vote. Hidalgo, a former deputy mayor under outgoing Mayor Anne Hidalgo, has pledged to make Paris a 'fortress' against right-wing and far-right ideologies.

In Marseille, France's second-largest city, the Socialist Party's Benoît Payan is on track for re-election with 56.3 percent of the vote. However, the plan of the far-right group 'National Rally' to capture major southern cities like Marseille and Toulon has failed. In Toulon, the center-right candidate Jos Massi is leading with 53.5 percent of the vote. The head of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, interpreted the victories in Paris and Marseille as a strong foundation for halting the regression of the far-right.

Despite the losses, National Rally leader Jordan Bardella claimed his party had made its biggest leap in history. Having won the city of Perpignan in the first round, the party secured a victory in Nice on Sunday through its ally Éric Ciotti. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe was re-elected as Mayor of the northern city of Le Havre. This victory positions him as a strong contender for the presidency in the 2027 national elections.

Voter turnout for this election was 48 percent. While this is slightly higher than the election held during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it is four percent lower than in 2014.

The results of these local elections show that the influence of traditional parties remains intact in France, but the growing presence of far-right forces appears to be a challenge for future national politics.