FRENCH MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
Local electoral contests across French cities and communes, including mayoral races, party alliances and second-round dynamics in major urban centres
4 articles
French Municipal Elections: Risks of PS-LFI Alliance Incoherence, Says Pollster
FRANCE 24Frédéric Dabi (Ifop) : "Il y a un risque de perte de cohérence avec les accords PS-LFI"
3/17/2026, 6:11:30 PM
Following the first round of France's municipal elections, Ifop polling director Frédéric Dabi analyses the key takeaways, including whether the far left and far right have genuinely made gains. He also examines the tension within the Socialist Party (PS), whose leader Olivier Faure had ruled out national alliances with La France Insoumise, yet local PS-LFI deals have emerged across the country. Dabi warns this risks undermining the internal coherence of the PS ahead of the second round.
Paris Municipal Elections: Far-Right Candidate Knafo Withdraws to Block the Left
FRANCE 24Municipales à Paris : Sarah Knafo se désiste avant le second tour "pour faire barrage à la gauche"
3/17/2026, 1:20:44 PM
Sarah Knafo, the Reconquête party candidate in the Paris municipal elections, has announced she will withdraw her list ahead of the second round after securing 10.4% in the first round. She cited the need to consolidate right-wing votes and prevent a left-wing victory in the French capital next Sunday. The move is a tactical retreat aimed at boosting the mainstream right's chances against the left.
Trump the "Blackmailer-in-Chief": Allies Balk at Persian Gulf Patrol
FRANCE 24Guerre en Iran: "Trump, maître chanteur en chef"
3/17/2026, 5:28:56 AM
Tuesday's press review highlights US allies' refusal to answer Donald Trump's call to secure navigation in the Persian Gulf, where the war appears not to have significantly weakened the Iranian regime. French papers also cover political manoeuvring ahead of the second round of municipal elections in France. A third story features a public awareness campaign against the so-called "enshittification" of the internet.
From Perpignan to Marseille's Gates: Marine Le Pen's Far Right Tightens Its Grip on Local Power
EL PAÍSDe Perpiñán a las puertas de Marsella: la extrema derecha de Marie Le Pen avanza en el poder municipal
3/17/2026, 4:30:01 AM
Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National has secured the mayoralty in around twenty French cities in the first round of local elections, marking a significant expansion of its municipal power base. For the first time, the far-right party is within striking distance of major urban centres such as Marseille, Nice and Toulon. The results signal a historic shift in French local politics, with the RN moving beyond its traditional strongholds.