5 towns the far-right hopes to win in the French local elections

"Le Pen's Rassemblement National party usually performs better in small towns and rural areas - in fact a study from 2018 found that the single biggest indicator on whether a person would vote for the party was how far away they lived from a mainline train station. The big cities of France tend to be controlled by either leftist parties, or since the 'green wave' of the 2010s, by Green mayors."

"This would be a massive result for RN, taking France's second largest city, and one that has had a strong leftist tradition in recent years. Rassemblement National is hoping that the 2026 local elections - taking place on March 15th and 22nd - will alter this trend, and show that they can win big towns."

"In Marseille, the current mayor Benoît Payan, representing a coalition of centre-left and green parties, is predicted to make it to the second round of polling, along with the Rassemblement National candidate. Which one of them wins the second round is expected to largely come down to who can make alliances with the defeated candidates, but the voting is predicted to be close."

Rassemblement National, Marine Le Pen's far-right party, traditionally performs better in small towns and rural areas than urban centers, which are typically controlled by leftist or Green parties. The party is targeting the 2026 local elections on March 15th and 22nd as an opportunity to break into France's major cities. Polling suggests competitive races in several key urban areas. In Marseille, France's second-largest city with a strong leftist tradition, the Rassemblement National candidate is predicted to reach the second round alongside the incumbent centre-left and green coalition mayor. In Toulon, an independent candidate who serves as the area's Rassemblement National MP leads polling. Nice also presents a closely contested battle.

Read at The Local France