Alliances with LFI, infox on Bally Bagayoko, Rachida Dati relaunched: the 2026 municipal elections weekly | EUROtoday

► In temporary

• With a participation price of 57.17%, the primary spherical of the municipal elections was marked by an abstention that was logically decrease than in 2020 – a poll organized through the Covid-19 pandemic – however however greater than that of 2014. Figures partly linked to the context of under-media protection of the poll, however that are above all a part of a steady decline in participation for a number of years.

• According to knowledge on purposes revealed by the Ministry of the Interior, a second spherical will probably be organized in 1,580 municipalities or sectors. Voters from solely 4.5% of some 35,000 French municipalities are thus known as to the polls for a second time on Sunday. During the primary spherical on March 15, there was just one record in additional than two thirds of the nation’s municipalities. On Sunday, voters may have the most important alternative – between 5 lists – in 17 municipalities. This will notably be the case in Saint-Jean-de-Védas, in Hérault, after mergers, when seven lists had certified there. There can even be 171 quadrangular and 821 triangular.

• The socialist candidate in Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, accused Emmanuel Macron of getting “intervened” to “help with the withdrawal” of far-right candidate Sarah Knafo. “Emmanuel Macron personally intervened (…) at different levels to ensure that he helped with the withdrawal of Sarah Knafo, with intermediaries, with people who have historically supported Reconquête,” Anne Hidalgo’s former first deputy declared on franceinfo, referring to an “immense moral fault”.

• The principal events concerned vigorously denied this. “These comments make no sense, they somewhat dishonor the person who says them like that, bluntly (…), it’s not serious,” declared the President of the Republic upon his arrival at a European summit in Brussels, assuring “that he does not know Ms. Knafo.” “Mr. Grégoire, you have just come out of a debate where you showed yourself to be disastrous”, reacted on X Sarah Knafo. “So you panic and sink into conspiracy,” she added, citing as the rationale for her withdrawal the “communist program” of Emmanuel Grégoire and “pedophilia at school [qu’il a] covered”, wishing him an “excellent defeat”. “When you lose your footing, you say anything”, Rachida Dati finally reacted on BFMTV, accusing the socialist candidate of having led an “outrageous” campaign.

• The far right votes for Dati: in addition to Sarah Knafo who withdrew to allow Rachida Dati’s victory, Jordan Bardella declared that he would vote “personally” for the candidate Les Républicains (LR) if he were a voter in Paris, in the second round of the municipal elections, facing the “existential risk” of the left. Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally (RN), for her part called for a “blockade” of Emmanuel Grégoire, accusing the left of having a “responsibility” in the scandals of violence against students in extracurriculars.

• The boss of the Les Républicains party, Bruno Retailleau, dropped the outgoing Christian Estrosi in Nice, in a bad position in the second round against the favorite Éric Ciotti, who allied himself with the RN, relaunching the debate on the union of the right and the extreme right. The senator lets the voters of the fifth city in France choose with “their soul and conscience” between Christian Estrosi, who came second (31%), labeled Horizons but who has several LR on his list, and Éric Ciotti, the favorite (43% in the first round), former boss of LR now at the head of the UDR, and who also has right-wing defectors at his side. The former Minister of the Interior, who launched the race for the Élysée more than a month ago, justified himself by denouncing a “deleterious campaign” in Nice during which he “does not find himself, neither on one side nor the other”.

• “Son of a bitch”, “motherfucker”, “it’s going to be terrible for you”: Sunday, earlier than his re-election in Arcachon, mayor LR Yves Foulon insulted and threatened his principal opponent, based on a video revealed by the web media Vakita. The Bordeaux public prosecutor’s workplace confirmed that an investigation was opened for threats, personal insults and violence. Yves Foulon was re-elected on Sunday with 66.51% of the votes towards 20.45% for DVG candidate Vital Baude, who filed a criticism, and 13.04% for Laurent Lamara (RN).

► The map

With or with out LFI, the left’s bets for the second spherical

Many socialist or environmental candidates have chosen to ally themselves regionally with rebellious candidates for the second spherical of municipal elections on Sunday, regardless of the banning, in latest weeks, of Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s celebration by the remainder of the left. Others, extra in step with Raphaël Glucksmann’s line, have however made the typically dangerous guess of refusing the hand prolonged by La France insoumise.

► The battle for Paris: episode 8

Dati relaunched, the left divided and whole suspense earlier than the second spherical

Between the merger of her record with that of Pierre-Yves Bournazel and the withdrawal of Sarah Knafo, Rachida Dati is totally revived towards Emmanuel Grégoire, who for his half should cope with the retention within the second spherical of the rebellious Sophia Chikirou. The suspense couldn’t be larger for the ultimate stretch of this municipal marketing campaign.

► Info or Intox

“Saint Denis, city of blacks”: story of a pretend information story

Sunday March 15, Bally Bagayoko was elected mayor of Saint-Denis within the first spherical. When the outcomes had been introduced, he gave his first interview as a councilor to LCI. He then declares that Saint-Denis is “the city of kings and living people”. Words which will probably be remodeled into “Saint-Denis, city of blacks”. Even if the sentence has by no means been uttered, the false data is unfold, even to the purpose of being invited onto tv units.

To show this YouTube content material, it’s essential to authorize viewers measurement and promoting cookies.

Accept

Manage my selections

An extension in your browser seems to be blocking the loading of the video participant. To be capable of watch this content material, it’s essential to disable or uninstall it.

Try once more

► Analysis of the primary spherical

Success of the RN and LFI within the first spherical, the massive maneuvers start

The first spherical of the municipal elections was marked by the nice outcomes of the National Rally, which confirmed its dynamic, and the breakthrough of La France insoumise, which obtained surprising leads to a number of giant cities in France.

► In Political Tuesday

Frédéric Dabi (Ifop): “There is a risk of loss of consistency with the PS-LFI agreements”

Following the primary spherical of municipal elections, what classes can we draw from the outcomes? Is there actually a breakthrough for La France insoumise? Can we actually discuss in regards to the success of the National Rally? Will the alliances between the rebels and the socialists, whereas Olivier Faure had rejected any “national alliance”, fracture the Socialist Party? Frédéric Dabi, common director Opinion of Ifop, answered these questions in “Mardi Politique”.

To show this YouTube content material, it’s essential to authorize viewers measurement and promoting cookies.

Accept

Manage my selections

An extension in your browser seems to be blocking the loading of the video participant. To be capable of watch this content material, it’s essential to disable or uninstall it.

Try once more

► The report

Why are mayors falling by the wayside?

Mayors are elected for six years, however increasingly of them are handing over the position earlier than the tip of their mandate. Their resignations reached an unprecedented stage through the 2020-2026 interval. Reporting.

To show this YouTube content material, it’s essential to authorize viewers measurement and promoting cookies.

Accept

Manage my selections

An extension in your browser seems to be blocking the loading of the video participant. To be capable of watch this content material, it’s essential to disable or uninstall it.

Try once more

► The variety of the week: 17

17 deputies elected mayors within the first spherical

Of the 106 deputies who stood for the municipal elections, 17 had been elected within the first spherical. This is notably the case of the previous Renaissance minister Franck Riester, elected in Coulommiers (Seine-et-Marne), of the Les Républicains deputy Philippe Juvin in La Garenne-Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine), of the MoDem deputy Philippe Vigier in Châteaudun (Eure-et-Loir) or of the socialist Stéphane Hablot in Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle).

These deputies should select between their nationwide mandate or their native mandate because of the legislation on the non-cumulation of mandates. Most of them ought to select the mayor’s chair, like Franck Riester, however a couple of will stay deputies, like Philippe Juvin.

For those that select to go away the National Assembly, their alternative will probably be supplied by their substitute. But if the latter is unavailable, a by-election should be organized.

► Unusual data from the marketing campaign

• Two brothers against the primary spherical introduced the merger of their lists for the second spherical of municipal elections in Saint-André, a city of round 60,000 inhabitants within the east of Reunion, within the hope of reconquering the city led by their father for greater than forty years. Laurent Virapoullé, 52, common supervisor of a toothfish fishing firm (a big predatory fish whose flesh is appreciated in Japan and the United States) supported by the National Rally, obtained 21.7% of the votes on Sunday. His brother Jean-Marie, 56, physician and numerous right-wing candidate, had collected 20.8%. Together, they hope to get forward of the outgoing left-wing mayor Joé Bédier, who got here in first with 30%. Before the primary spherical, their father, Jean-Paul Virapoullé, 82, an emblematic determine of the Reunion proper, publicly supported the eldest, Jean-Marie. The mom, for her half, most popular the youngest, Laurent.

• Philippot helps Zielinski towards Hitler. Far-right sovereignist Florian Philippot, recognized for his pro-Russian tropism, expressed his “support” for candidate Antoine Renault-Zielinski towards Charles Hittler, outgoing mayor of the small city of Arcis-sur-Aube (Aube). The latter got here first with 37.81% of the votes within the first spherical, Antoine Renault-Zielinski putting third with 29.99%, a confrontation which sparked many jokes on social networks. “Everything is playable,” mentioned Floriant Philippot on the X platform. Antoine Renault-Zielinski is a member of the nationwide staff of his motion, Les Patriotes.

• Perfect equality. Despite a participation price properly above common on Sunday (69.84%), the village of Poligné, about twenty kilometers south of Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), didn’t handle to resolve between its two candidates for mayor on the finish of the primary spherical: every of the lists current obtained 352 votes. “We knew it was going to be close but we didn’t expect this perfect tie,” Catherine Allain, first deputy and head of one of many two lists, instructed France 3 Bretagne. If the voters had been to be tied once more within the second spherical, the electoral code offers that the winner will probably be designated “for the benefit of age”, bearing in mind the record whose candidates have the very best common age.

With AFP