- Title: Local election results show widening divides in French politics, analyst says
- Date: 23rd March 2026
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 23, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) RESEARCHER AT UNIVERSITY OF PARIS AND POLITICAL ANALYST, BENJAMIN MOREL, SAYING: “What we can possibly conclude is that, at the centre, the (presidential) candidacy of Edouard Philippe, the former Prime Minister of Emmanuel Macron, emerges strengthened against his rivals because he was re‑elected. The RN is taki
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: France Unbowed French municipal elections French politics National Rally
- Location: PARIS AND MARSEILLE, FRANCE
- City: PARIS AND MARSEILLE, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA005654723032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Results from France’s local elections show the nation’s political divides are taking root with rises in support for the extremes on the left and right, an analyst said on Monday (March 23), warning however that the results were not predictive of the country’s presidential election next year.
The municipal votes were a test of both the depth of the far right’s support base a year ahead of presidential elections to replace centrist Emmanuel Macron, and the resilience of mainstream parties in a fragmented political landscape.
While many of France’s largest cities stayed in the hands of leftist candidates - such as Paris, Marseille and Lyon - the right captured smaller cities and towns in previous left-wing heartlands, often with a noticeable rise in support for the far-right National Rally (RN), analyst Benjamin Morel said.
And while the races in the largest cities are eye-catching, they do not map on to the national result of a presidential election very well, Morel said.
He added that urban areas also saw a rise in support for the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), leaving the centre-left in a dilemma of whether to form an alliance with them to shore up left-wing support or refuse cooperation to appeal to moderates.
But the results do point to a further fracturing of French politics, Morel said.
“Is there a rise of the extremes? The answer is yes, obviously. And these municipal elections confirm this rise and this polarisation,” he said.
(Production: Marco Trujillo, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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