Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire won the Paris mayoral race Sunday, succeeding fellow party member Anne Hidalgo as the French capital’s mayor.
Grégoire claimed victory after estimates based on partial results placed him well ahead of conservative rival Rachida Dati, who acknowledged defeat.
Grégoire said “tonight is the victory of a certain vision of Paris: a vibrant Paris, a progressive Paris.”
French voters returned to the polls Sunday for the final round of municipal elections in 1,500 communes, including major cities.
French voters returned to the polls Sunday for the second and final round of municipal elections in over 1,500 communes.
The vote is a test of the balance of power on France’s local political map before the 2027 presidential race begins to take shape. It is also a measure of whether the far right can convert national momentum into control of major cities, where it has often struggled to break through.
The most closely watched contests are concentrated in major cities after a first round that left France’s traditional left and right competitive, the far right strongly placed in several urban races especially in southeastern France, and President Emmanuel Macron ’s centrist movement keeping a low profile in many of the most closely watched races.
After days of mergers, withdrawals and tactical deals between lists, three-way races remain common in the runoff. Mayors and municipal councilors are elected for six years.
Turnout at 5 p.m. local time was just over 48% in France’s mainland, higher than in the 2020 vote held during the COVID-19 pandemic but four points lower than in 2014, according to the Ministry of Interior. Polling stations were open until 8 p.m. in the biggest cities.
