Périgueux's outgoing socialist mayor, Emeric Lavitola, is running for a second term in the March 15, 2026, municipal elections, backed by a broad coalition of left-wing parties. He faces a divided right, with two former allies competing for centrist and right-wing votes, while the National Rally struggles to complete its list.
Emeric Lavitola, a 47-year-old teacher, served as first deputy mayor of Périgueux from July 2020 to May 2025. As the federal secretary of the Socialist Party (PS) in Dordogne for seven years, he succeeded socialist mayor Delphine Labails in May 2025 following her burnout in December 2024. In 2020, Labails had competed against three other left-wing lists in the first round.
For the March 15, 2026, elections, Lavitola leads the “Périgueux nous rassemble” list, supported by the Ecologists, Génération.s, the Left Radical Party, Place publique, La Convention, and the Alliance for an Ecological and Social Republic (L’Après), a group of former “insoumis.” Pascale Martin, a former deputy for Dordogne’s first constituency and ex-LFI member, considered leading an L’Après list but ultimately joined the outgoing majority. The French Communist Party (PCF), which backed citizen collective led by ex-LFI’s Hélène Reys over Labails’s list in 2020, has now aligned with Lavitola.
The list is half-renewed, retaining a core similar to the previous term. “Our team is one of unity,” states Lavitola, who acknowledges his refusal to reach any deal with La France insoumise before the first round.
Meanwhile, the right is in disarray, with two former political partners vying for centrist and right-wing votes. The National Rally is facing challenges in finalizing its list.
