Antoine Armand Elected Mayor of Annecy, Marking a Major Win for Renaissance

Antoine Armand, a former Minister of Economy and member of the Renaissance party, was elected mayor of Annecy on March 22, 2026, securing around 49.36% of the votes. He defeated his main rival Alexandre Mulatier-Gachet, who garnered 35.12%, and Guillaume Roit-Lévêque from the National Rally, who received about 15.52%. This election is historic for Renaissance, marking their first governance of a French city with over 100,000 inhabitants.

Armand emphasized that his victory ends six years of ecological governance, labeling it as "ecological dogmatism," and expressed pride in uniting the center and right to shift governance direction. The election saw the withdrawal of former mayor Jean-Luc Rigaut, who finished third in the first round and declined to endorse any candidate.

With a strong background in economics and energy issues, Armand's win represents both a political and generational shift, succeeding François Astorg, the outgoing ecologist mayor. Armand stressed that local political engagement is a long-term commitment and hailed the pragmatic strategy led by Gabriel Attal, which helped facilitate political change without empowering extremes.

His election is viewed as a significant gain for Renaissance within municipal politics and a proof of the party's growing relevance at the local level. Armand intends to focus on making Annecy a peaceful and proud city moving forward.