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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
RFI

What to watch in the deciding round of France's local elections

People vote in the first round of municipal elections in Henin-Beaumont, northern France, on 15 March 2026. © AP - Jean-Francois Badias

Voters cast their ballots on Sunday in the second round of elections that will decide who runs France's biggest cities. Beyond selecting local mayors and councillors, the polls could give clues which way French voters are leaning – and what deals parties are prepared to do – ahead of a presidential election next year.

Most of France's roughly 35,000 communes elected their local councils last weekend in the first round of the municipal elections, held nationwide every six years.

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