In Avignon, the succession of socialist mayor Cécile Helle, who is not seeking a third term, has sparked ambitions from seven candidates ranging from the PS to the Républicains. The campaign for the March 15 and 22, 2026 municipal elections is marked by total instability. The Rassemblement national and La France insoumise have already outlined clear strategies.
Avignon, the capital of Vaucluse, serves as a miniature model of the national political situation due to the instability in the 2026 municipal campaign. Outgoing socialist mayor Cécile Helle announced in February that she would not seek a third consecutive term in the election scheduled for March 15 and 22, 2026. Elected in 2014 by wresting the city from the right, she leaves a completely open field.
Five months before the vote, seven candidates are vying for her succession, spanning an electoral arc from the Parti socialiste (PS) to the Républicains (LR). Some have already officially launched their campaigns, such as former journalist Olivier Galzi, 53, running as an independent, or Joël Peyre, 67, the current deputy for finances and a member of the Parti radical de gauche (PRG). Others, like Julien Aubert, 47, national vice-president of the LR, are still assessing the opportunity to enter this complex political chaos.
Only the strategies of the Rassemblement national (RN) and La France insoumise (LFI) stand out clearly so far, while ambitions from other parties multiply in a context of uncertainty.