As the March 15 and 22, 2026 municipal elections approach, access to healthcare has become a major concern for residents, especially in areas affected by medical deserts. Mayors and candidates are constantly questioned on this issue, despite their limited powers. Local initiatives to attract doctors have multiplied, but challenges remain.
Medical deserts are expanding in France, placing health at the center of the municipal elections scheduled for March 15 and 22, 2026. Many mayors believe this issue has never been more pressing, especially in small towns.
Christophe Bouillon, diverse left mayor of Barentin (Seine-Maritime) and president of the Association des petites villes de France, notes an acceleration in this trend. “There is an acceleration,” he estimates. “In 2020, the subject was already present, of course, but it is even more so now.”
Gil Avérous, mayor of Châteauroux (former Les Républicains) and president of Villes de France, which represents medium-sized towns of 10,000 to 100,000 inhabitants, shares this view. “Health has become the top priority for all my colleagues,” he says. “Today, it is the primary demand I hear from my constituents.”
Although mayors lack direct authority over health matters, they have a general competence clause allowing them to act. Pressure from citizens drives them to respond, as they are the first point of contact. As many officials note: “Citizens do not go knocking on the doors of regional health agencies; they hold us accountable.”
In response to these access-to-care challenges, local initiatives to attract healthcare professionals have proliferated. However, significant limitations persist, leaving elected officials caught between powerlessness and multiple efforts.
