French voters head to polls in early municipal test before 2027 presidential election

PARIS (AP) — Voters are going to the polls Sunday in the first round of municipal elections to choose leadership teams across France, from small villages to the biggest cities — a test for political parties' electoral machines before next year's presidential election for the successor to President Emmanuel Macron.

Although largely focused on grassroots concerns, the voting will be scrutinized for any early hints of how parties might fare in the presidential race of 2027, when Macron's second and last term as president ends. The second round is on March 22.

Attention is particularly focused on key races in major cities, including Paris. Incumbent Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo, elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020, decided against seeking a third term, having steered the French capital through the trauma of extremist attacks in 2015 and the exuberance of the Paris Olympics in 2024.

In Marseille, France's second-largest city, polls pointed to a tight race between incumbent left-wing Mayor Benoît Payan and the candidate of the far-right National Rally party, Franck Allisio, and his would-be municipal team.

The National Rally's performances in municipal races will be studied for possible indications of whether the party of Marine Le Pen is gathering momentum in the lead-up to 2027, despite the possibility that she might be barred from challenging again for the presidency herself.

Last year, a French court convicted Le Pen of embezzlement and prohibited her from seeking public office for five years. She is the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, the polarizing founder of the far-right National Front who was convicted multiple times of antisemitism, discrimination and inciting racial violence.

Marine Le Pen is hoping that an appeals court clears her in a key verdict set for July 7. A ruling against Le Pen could derail her presidential ambitions.

More than 904,000 candidates for municipal posts in roughly 35,000 villages, towns and cities are on the ballots Sunday. In places where the outcome remains undecided, the second round of voting will determine final results.