By Satyaki Chakraborty
The final results of the municipal polls in France held on Sunday, March 22 reveal that the far right National Rally (RN) has failed to make any breakthrough in winning mayoral positions but its own votes are surging defying all the combinations. For 2027 Presidential elections, RN led by Marine Le Pen is emerging as the formidable contender as against the Macron centrists or Left.
The results show that the Leftwing coalition including the Socialist Party, Communist Party, the Ecologists and other left wing allies have done better compared to the opinion polls. In fact Socialist Party candidate Emanuel Gregoire won the post of Paris Mayor in a major achievement for the Left coalition. In many other cities also, the Socialist candidates did well despite the powerful far left LFI of Jean Luc Melenchon fighting separately.
The Communist Party of France (PCF) has done better holding its traditional working class constituencies. National Secretary of PCF Fabien Roussel was reelected from his Saint Armand led Eaux constituency. The PCF targeted specific cities for gains in its red belt areas and won in many. The PCF fielded upto 2,000 candidates and faced opposition from both RN and LFI. But the results proved that the Left coalition of Socialist Party and PCF has attained credibility and is in a position to emerge as a formidable combination in 2027 Presidential polls even if no alliance takes shape with far left LFI.
France has about 1500 municipalities including the big cities like Paris, Merseille, Lyon, etc. There are 35,000 seats. The far right RN was not much present in the last municipal elections held in 2020. Marine Le Pen’s party RN started is offensive from the 2022 Presidential elections. That upswing has got a jolt, though RN leaders are saying the local election results have no relevance for the 2027 Presidential elections where the major national issues like immigration will come up and RN will score on that.
Marseille is no bellwether for France as a whole, yet the RN failure to capture the country’s second‑largest city, coupled with defeat in nearby Toulon, has punctured the sense of an unstoppable National Rally (RN) advance towards power in 2027. The March 22 results bring out the fact that the mainstream anti Right parties, when united, can easily block the RN in large cities where the far right ideology has not gone deeper.
In fiercely conservative Nice, RN ally Eric Ciotti defeated a Macron‑backed candidate. The party also picked up smaller cities such as Carcassonne and multiplied its number of councillors thirteen‑fold. However Macron backed candidates got unexpected wins in Bordeaux, and Annecy and gained seats through alliances in Youlose, Angers, and Limoges. Former Prime Minister Edouard Phillippe retained Le Harve and reinforced his claim to be Macron’s candidate for the Presidential polls in 2027. Macron will not be contesting in 2027 as he has already completed two terms.
The poll results have started the debate in political circles whether the present coalition of Left on its own should take on RN in the 2027 Presidential elections without aligning with LFI. There are sections who say that this alliance will help in getting the support of centrists and other unattached since a section of Left supporters are disillusioned with the recent activities of the LFI as also their leader Melenchon.
LFI had a good show in the last elections to national assembly. There was United Popular Front which was the largest group in the new national assembly. The fight against President Macron was continuing but in the last one year, the alliance broke down and both Socialists and communists dissociated themselves from the LFI.
s More than a year is left for the Presidential elections. RN is doing its best to prepare itself for the take over of Presidency. The present Left coalition also has to prepare to challenge RN. A wider anti RN front is needed. It is in the interests of French Left if the LFI changes its present tactics and cooperate with the United Left to defeat the RN in the 2027 polls. (IPA Service)
