Rachida Dati Firmly Rejects Alliance with Far-Right Sarah Knafo in 2026 Paris Municipal Elections

Rachida Dati, candidate for Les Républicains (LR) and MoDem in the 2026 Paris mayoral race, has explicitly ruled out any alliance with Sarah Knafo, the far-right candidate from Reconquête. Speaking on March 5, Dati emphasized the necessity of unity among the right ahead of the March 15 election, while firmly distancing herself from Knafo and her political affiliations.

Dati warned that collaborating with Knafo, who is projected to secure over 10% of votes in the first round, could alienate centrist voters and undermine her political base. She condemned Knafo’s ties to far-right European parliament members, labeling them as "neo-Nazis," and dismissed the idea of a "union of the rights" as currently conceived as merely a coalition of political machines. Instead, Dati called for support from Pierre-Yves Bournazel, a center-right candidate also expected to advance to the second round.

Despite Knafo’s invitations to collaborate in an effort to defeat the left, Dati remains resolute against any alliance with the far-right. She also criticized her main opponent, Emmanuel Grégoire, for aligning with radical left factions. A recent poll indicates Grégoire leads over Dati in the first round, with five candidates projected to surpass the 10% vote threshold, which will be crucial for shaping second-round dynamics.

With the Paris municipal elections approaching, Dati’s stance highlights the strategic divisions within right-leaning candidates and underscores the complexity of alliances crucial to the campaign’s outcome.