Post-election polls in France indicate Socialist candidates will retain control of Paris and Marseille, while Nice will be led by the right.
Paris Stays with the Left
Polls following French local elections show Emmanuel Gregoire, the left-wing candidate, will become the next mayor of Paris, defeating right-wing candidate and former Culture Minister Rachida Dati. This secures the Socialist Party’s continued governance of Paris since 2001.
Ipsos BVA polling indicates Gregoire’s list, representing Socialists, Greens, and the Communist Party, received 53.1% of the vote. Dati’s list garnered approximately 38% according to the same data.
A Close Race Decided
Pre-election polls before the second round on Sunday suggested a near-tie between Gregoire and Dati. Despite this, Gregoire chose not to form an alliance with the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI).
Gregoire served as deputy to Anne Hidalgo, who held the mayoral office for two terms and was the first woman to hold the position. His election ensures the continuation of the PS’s rule in Paris since 2001, likely continuing Hidalgo’s policies of greening the city, creating bike lanes, and reducing car traffic.
Gregoire’s Victory Statement
“Paris has decided to remain faithful to its history,” Gregoire stated after the election. He assured that the French capital “is not and will never be a city of the far right.”
Rachida Dati’s Political Career
Dati, from the right-wing Les Républicains (LR) party, has also served as mayor of Paris’s 7th arrondissement for many years and is a well-known figure in French politics. She was Minister of Justice under President Nicolas Sarkozy, the first woman of North African origin to hold that position in a French government.
Dati also served in the European Parliament and, from 2024, as Minister of Culture, resigning in connection with the mayoral election. Despite her strong campaign focused on security, she also faces significant negative sentiment among voters.
Anna Wróbel (PAP) reported from Paris.
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