Who is Paris's newly sworn-in mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire?

Newly elected Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire looks on during a 'farewell thank you' ceremony of Paris outgoing Mayor Anne Hidalgo at the Paris City Hall in Paris on 25 March 2026. © AFP - JOEL SAGET

Emmanuel Grégoire begins his first day in office as mayor of Paris on Monday, a week after beating rival Rachida Dati in the second round of local elections. The 48-year-old Socialist now steps into the limelight after years in the shadow of his political mentors. So who is he and what are his plans for the French capital?

Grégoire was officially sworn in on Sunday, having won 50.5 percent of the vote – beating conservative contender and former culture minister Dati, on 41.5 percent, while Sophia Chikirou of the hard left got just over 8 percent.