France celebrates this Sunday the first round of the municipal elections, an event that mobilizes millions of voters in nearly 35,000 municipalities and that is interpreted as the first major political test before the 2027 presidential elections, in which president Emmanuel Macron will not be able to run.
The polling stations opened at 08:00 hours and in most large cities will close at 20:00, at which point the first results of the day will begin to be known. If no candidacy achieves an absolute majority in a municipality, a second round will be held next March 22.
Moderate participation during the day
Turnout stood at 19.37% at 12:00 p.m., according to data from the French Ministry of Interior, a figure slightly higher than that recorded in 2020 —when the country voted in the midst of a pandemic— but lower than at the same time in the 2014 municipal elections.
As the day progressed, mobilization increased. At 5:00 p.m. 48.9% of the electorate in metropolitan France had voted, ten points more than in 2020, although still below the 54.7% registered at the same time in 2014.
The partial data from the afternoon showed very variable participation levels according to territories and municipalities, although generally higher than those of the previous electoral cycle marked by the health context.
Dress rehearsal for the 2027 presidential elections
Beyond their local character, these municipal elections are followed with special attention in France because they can anticipate the recomposition of the political system ahead of the next presidential election.
The result in the large cities —such as Paris, Marseille, Nice or Le Havre— will be especially observed by political analysts, since in them compete the main currents of the country: the traditional right, the political space heir to Macronism, the different left-wing forces and the far-right of the Rassemblement National.
In many important municipalities, it is expected that no list will reach an absolute majority today, which will shift the true political battle to the alliances between the two rounds, a common element in French municipal politics.
Thousands of mayors and councilors at stake
The French municipal elections renew the municipal councils and mayors across the country, responsible for local management in matters such as urban planning, public services, or transport.
Although a large part of the small municipalities can decide the result already in this first round, in the main cities the outcome usually remains open until the second vote.
Hence, more than an isolated local election, this Sunday's day is interpreted in France as a national political barometer that can mark the balance between right, left and far-right on the way to the next electoral cycle.