2026 Municipal Elections Heat Up in Lyon and Nice as Major Candidates Face Off

The 2026 municipal elections in Lyon and Nice have entered a critical second-round phase with key contenders maneuvering strategically to secure victory.

In Nice, incumbent mayor Christian Estrosi of Horizons secured 30% of the vote, trailing 13 points behind Éric Ciotti, the UDR leader allied with the National Rally, who leads the race. Estrosi has urgently called for a united front within the republican political spectrum to "block" Ciotti's extreme right-wing candidacy, emphasizing the need for collective action. Meanwhile, ecologist candidate Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, positioning herself against both Estrosi's center-right and Ciotti's far-right, plans to maintain her candidacy, signaling a triangular contest for the upcoming round. The deadline for submitting second-round candidate lists is the evening following March 16, 2026.

In Lyon, incumbent mayor Grégory Doucet is in a favorable position with over 37% of votes, narrowly ahead of Jean-Michel Aulas, the former Olympique Lyonnais president, who received 36.78%. The left-wing 'insoumise' candidate Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi, having secured just over 10%, has withdrawn to consolidate support in the runoff.

These developments highlight intense electoral battles in two of France's significant urban centers, where political alliances and voter coalitions will be pivotal in the final results.