One month before the Paris municipal elections on March 15 and 22, 2026, the six main candidates struggle to focus on local issues, overshadowed by national debates and controversies. Budget disputes, school scandals, and judicial affairs dominate the campaign, hindering constructive dynamics.
The campaign for the 2026 Paris municipal elections is off to a sluggish start. One month before the first round on March 15 and the second on March 22, the candidates seeking to succeed Anne Hidalgo, the outgoing mayor from the Parti socialiste (PS), appear stuck in static positions. Endless parliamentary budget debates, scandals in the after-school sector, judicial cases, and mutual accusations of leniency toward extremists are cluttering the public discourse, preventing productive discussions on Parisian affairs.
The latest contender is Sarah Knafo from Reconquête, who declared her candidacy on January 7. On the PS side, Emmanuel Grégoire, former deputy mayor from 2014 to 2024 and preparing since 2020, won the internal primary. He achieved a notable feat by uniting all of Parisian left-wing forces except La France insoumise (LFI) to present a single candidacy in the first round. However, this reserved Paris deputy remains little known to the wider public and struggles to shed his second-in-command image. He served as chief of staff to Bertrand Delanoë at City Hall (2010-2012), then to Jean-Marc Ayrault at Matignon (2012-2014), before becoming Hidalgo's first deputy (2018-2024).
