After France’s Elections, the Left Remains Deeply Divided
France’s local elections again showed Emmanuel Macron’s weakness. With both the Socialists and France Insoumise making gains, neither party will likely recognize the other as the Left’s standard-bearer for the 2027 presidential election.
The French municipal elections reveal an uncomfortable lesson for the leaders of both the PS and LFI: it will be difficult for either party to win the presidential election without collaboration between them and with other left-wing parties. (JC Milhet / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)
Nearly all parties celebrated the results of France’s municipal elections, held on March 15 and 22. Above all, the contests confirmed just how muddled the country’s political situation is ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
The conservative party Les Républicains (LR) will govern the most city halls, while the Parti Socialiste (PS) celebrated retaining Paris and Marseille, among other big cities. Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella’s Rassemblement National (RN) boasted its best-ever local-election scores, while left-wing France Insoumise (LFI) cheered its own arrival in city halls across France.
Even clear losers celebrated. The Écologistes, suffering a decline after their growth spurt in 2020, found reasons for comfort as they held on to the Lyon mayoralty; Emmanuel Macron’s camp, reduced to an even smaller minority, could at least say it won Le Havre and Bordeaux. None of them are really out of the running.
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