Voters across France are set to return to the polls on Sunday to elect mayors in Paris, Marseille, and more than 1,500 other municipalities, in a vote widely seen as a key test of political momentum ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The contests will measure both the strength of the far right and the ability of traditional parties to maintain their footing.
Mayors, who preside over nearly 35,000 municipalities ranging from major urban centres to small villages, remain among the most trusted public officials in the country. While many candidates secured outright victories in the first round held last Sunday, several tightly contested races in major cities have advanced to decisive runoff ballots.
Attention is particularly focused on Marseille, where the second round will see a face-off between the far-right National Rally (RN) and the sitting Socialist mayor.
A victory for the RN in the southern port city would mark a significant political breakthrough for the party.
In Paris, polling indicates a highly competitive race, with both conservative and left-wing candidates within striking distance of victory.
Voting is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. (0700 GMT) and conclude between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., with results expected to emerge gradually throughout the evening.
Despite its strong national profile, the anti-immigration and eurosceptic RN has faced challenges translating support into substantial gains at the municipal level. Results from the first round were mixed, with the party retaining control in several areas but failing to expand significantly beyond its established strongholds in the north and south.
“It’s true that these 2026 municipal elections do not mark a landslide for the National Rally – far from that. But … it stands to confirm its territorial integration in France,” said Anne Muxel, a research director at Sciences Po.
The RN’s prospects in Marseille were dealt a setback after Sebastien Delogu of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) withdrew from the runoff, aiming to prevent a split in the left-wing vote that could benefit the far right.
Elsewhere, in Nice on the French Riviera, Eric Ciotti, an ally of Marine Le Pen, is projected to secure victory against a centrist-backed opponent.
Paris also remains a focal point, having been governed by the left since 2001. Although the Socialist candidate led in the first round, the race tightened after a far-right contender withdrew to support Rachida Dati, a former interior minister, intensifying the battle for control of the capital.
While municipal elections often centre on local concerns and do not directly predict outcomes in national races, they provide valuable insight into voter sentiment, party popularity, and the evolving nature of political alliances in an increasingly fragmented landscape.
A major question emerging from the first round is the impact of inter-party alliances—or their absence—on the final results. Negotiations have exposed divisions within the left, with Socialists forming agreements with LFI in some cities, including Lyon and Toulouse, but failing to do so in others such as Marseille and Lille.
Although LFI has historically struggled in local elections, its increased focus on municipal contests this year appears to be yielding results, highlighting its growing influence.
“We can clearly see that, because of the relatively good performance of France Unbowed in the municipal elections, this party and (leader) Jean-Luc Melenchon once again gain a position of power in what the balance of power in the left could constitute,” Muxel said.
