- Title: Left wing Paris mayoral candidate says race is 'existential' in final rally
- Date: 20th March 2026
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MARCH 20, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) EURASIA GROUP, SENIOR ANALYST, CHINA AND NORTHEAST ASIA, JEREMY CHAN, SAYING: “I think that the Japanese public will and the Japanese government will largely brush off Trump's sort of sideways comment about how his unwillingness to alert Japan in advance of his attack on Iran was analogous to
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Emmanuel Gregoire French politics Paris mayor local elections
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001589320032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: SEE EDIT 5905-FRANCE-ELECTION/PARIS-CANDIDATES FOR FOOTAGE OF CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE RACHIDA DATI CAMPAIGNING AND HER RESPONSE TO THE ASSERTION THAT SHE IS SUPPORTED BY THE FRENCH FAR RIGHT
Left-wing Paris mayoral candidate Emmanuel Gregoire cast Sunday’s (March 22) run-off in France’s local elections as “existential”, seeking to depict his main rival as the candidate supported by the far right at a final campaign rally on Friday (March 20).
The large gap in vote shares from the first round between Gregoire and former culture minister and candidate of the conservative Republicans, Rachida Dati, is set to narrow after Dati allied with centrist Pierre-Yves Bournazel and far-right candidate Sarah Knafo dropped out of the race.
The candidate of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) Sophia Chikirou will still contest the race, potentially limiting how many votes Gregoire can gain.
The elections will gauge the strength of parties one year ahead of the presidential election, and indicate what alliances could emerge.
National Rally, a party known for its anti-immigration and eurosceptic stance, is France's largest parliamentary bloc and its performance in the elections will be closely watched.
“What is the place of Paris in this fractured world and country? What is the role of Paris in a France that could tip over (to the far right) in 2027?” Gregoire asked supporters.
Both Knafo and Marine Le Pen, an RN leader, have called on voters to block the left from office in Paris, implicitly endorsing Dati.
Gregoire said Dati had accepted far-right support “with a knowing smile” even though no electoral pact had been made. Dati has rejected suggestions she is relying on far-right support.
Gregoire scored around 38% of the vote in the first round, with Dati behind on 25%. Bournazel, Chikirou and Khafo each received between 10-12% approximately.
Polls open at 0700GMT and close at 1900GMT on Sunday, with exit polls expected shortly afterwards.
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