2026 French Municipal Elections: First Round Dominated by Small Communes, Second Round Alliances Shape Major Cities

On March 15, 2026, France conducted its municipal elections' first round across 34,982 communes, with nearly 96% of them electing their mayors immediately, highlighting the predominance of small communes in early results. According to Le Monde, 33,326 communes concluded their elections in the first round, with most contests (97.5%) featuring only one or no opponent, reflecting a relatively uncontested process in smaller towns. In contrast, only 4.4% of communes will proceed to the second round on March 22, largely representing larger population centers where competition is more intense; for example, just 9.5% of communes over 100,000 inhabitants have elected their mayors outright.

Key re-elections include Patrice Bessac (PCF) in Montreuil, Louis Aliot (RN) in Perpignan, and Ericka Bareigts (PS) in Saint-Denis, alongside victories such as Bally Bagayoko (LFI) also in Saint-Denis.

As the second round approaches, strategic alliance negotiations are underway especially in France’s major cities. In Toulouse, leftist parties have combined forces, with François Briançon (La Gauche Unie) and François Piquemal (La France Insoumise) merging their lists, exemplifying efforts to consolidate support. Conversely, in Marseille, agitates Benoît Payan rejects alliance overtures with LFI, signaling persistent divisions among left-leaning parties.

Paris sees moves towards cross-spectrum collaborations, such as Rachida Dati reaching out to centrist Pierre-Yves Bournazel. An Ipsos survey noted that while 89% of LFI supporters favor merging leftist lists, only 51% of Ecology voters and 36% of Socialist Party supporters agree to similar coalitions, highlighting fragmented left-wing alliances.

Candidates must submit their definitive lists by the Tuesday following the first round. They have options to maintain their candidacies, negotiate "fusion technique" alliances to bolster electoral chances, or withdraw to support others, especially aimed at countering far-right advances. The Rassemblement National plans to maintain all its qualified lists and is courting right-wing partnering.

The 2026 municipal elections thus reveal a strong early consolidation in smaller communes, while major cities become the battleground for crucial negotiations shaping second-round dynamics between leftist factions, centrists, and the far-right.