France Is Voting for Thousands of New Mayors. Here’s Why It Matters.
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- France's municipal elections, concluding Sunday, are being closely watched for indications of a potential far-right surge ahead of next year's presidential elections, with far-right candidates performing strongly in major southern cities like Marseille, Nice, and Toulon.
- The National Rally party leads comfortably in presidential polls and shows durable appeal in its southern strongholds, but its success is limited elsewhere, and tactical voting in the upcoming runoff may restrict further gains.
- Centrist parties, including President Emmanuel Macron's, continue to struggle amid widespread dissatisfaction with mainstream politics, reflected in the lowest voter turnout since the 1950s (excluding the pandemic-affected 2020 election).
- France's two-round municipal election system means many major city races will proceed to a runoff on Sunday
