RN secures presidencies of several intercommunalités

After winning 74 mayorships on March 22, the Rassemblement National (RN) has quietly secured presidencies in several intercommunalités, signaling further local entrenchment. Marine Le Pen congratulated Louis Aliot on his re-election as president of Perpignan's urban community. These polls, dubbed the 'third round' of municipal elections, hold strategic importance for the party.

The Rassemblement National won 74 mayorships in the first round of municipal elections on March 22, paving the way for gains in intercommunalités. These public establishments for inter-municipal cooperation (EPCI) are a key but less publicized stake in local governance.

Louis Aliot was elected president of Perpignan's urban community in Pyrénées-Orientales on Saturday. Marine Le Pen hailed the win on her X account: "To the confidence of voters who re-elected him in the first round is added that of the agglomeration's elected officials who validate the seriousness, credibility, and competence of RN governance." The party highlights these achievements to bolster its legitimacy.

Other intercommunalités, such as the Nice metropolis and the Petite Camargue community, are cited in this RN expansion. These successes reflect the nationalist party's gradual local entrenchment after years without control of such bodies.

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Illustrative map and scenes of French election results: left holds Paris, Marseille, Lyon; far-right gains 70 mayors in smaller cities.
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French left keeps Paris, Marseille and Lyon as far right expands mayoral foothold

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France’s left-wing coalitions held the mayoralties of Paris, Marseille and Lyon in the 2026 municipal elections, while Marine Le Pen’s National Rally said it increased its number of mayors to about 70 nationwide. The results also exposed continuing strains inside the left as conservatives and the far right notched gains in smaller and midsize cities.

As the 2026 municipal elections approach, the Rassemblement National (RN) aims to capture dozens of cities, signaling a shift in its local implantation strategy. This goal comes against a historical backdrop where the party, founded in 1972, focused primarily on presidential races under Jean-Marie Le Pen. Marine Le Pen has driven changes to build the movement's territorial legitimacy.

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In the second round of the 2026 municipal elections on March 22, the National Rally (RN) and its allies captured 36 towns, adding to 18 won in the first round. Key victories include Nice, Orange, and Montargis, per initial Interior Ministry results.

In a volatile context, Jordan Bardella of the Rassemblement national and Jean-Luc Mélenchon held successive meetings in Perpignan on February 28 and March 1. The city, led by mayor Louis Aliot (RN), hosted these gatherings ahead of the 2026 municipal elections. Despite school holidays and the threat of rain, the streets had a festive atmosphere.

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France's municipal elections on March 15 and 22, 2026, loom as a key test for local democracy, one year before the presidential vote. They may reveal rising abstention rates signaling distrust in elected officials and point to the far right's growing influence. Mayors, the most popular figures, handle vital issues like housing and transport.

In the Somme department, once dotted with communist strongholds, PCF-affiliated mayors are now few and far between amid economic decline and the rise of the Rassemblement national. In Woincourt, Mayor Arnaud Petit laments the nighttime posting of an RN poster, a sign of mounting pressure on left-wing bastions. Aging militants and a lack of successors make political survival precarious ahead of the 2026 elections.

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The municipal elections on March 15 and 22 will elect not only mayors but also community councilors for intercommunalités, or 'intercos.' These structures, grouping communes to handle key local competencies, remain little known to the public despite their central role. Anne Terlez, vice president of Agglo Seine-Eure, stresses the need to raise voter awareness of this dual stake.

 

 

 

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