French far right wins towns, loses in cities as mayoral vote kicks off race to succeed Macron
France 24 • • general
Key Points:
- The far-right National Rally (RN) suffered defeats in major cities like Toulon, Nîmes, and Marseille despite leading in the first round, failing to make significant urban gains ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
- RN found success in smaller towns such as Vierzon, Liévin, Carcassonne, and Castres, leading party president Jordan Bardella to call it the party's "greatest breakthrough" in history.
- Left-wing alliances including the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) saw mixed results, with some wins in suburbs of Paris, Lyon, and Lille, but key defeats in cities like Toulouse, Limoges, and Clermont-Ferrand, raising questions about the unity strategy.
