A coalition of 24 non-governmental organizations and unions, led by the Nos services publics collective, launched a campaign on January 30 in Lille to urge candidates in the March 2026 municipal elections. The initiative aims to bring the defense of local public services into the debate, vital for social cohesion. The platform outlines 14 demands spanning areas such as housing, health, and education.
This marks a first for a French municipal election. Around 20 associations and unions, including the Ligue des droits de l'homme, Oxfam, the Fédération syndicale unitaire, France Nature Environnement, Médecins du monde, Solidaires, Attac, and the Fédération du logement, have joined forces under the Nos services publics collective. The campaign launch took place on Thursday, January 30, in Lille, targeting candidates for the March 2026 vote.
The goal is straightforward: to position public services at the heart of the electoral debate and highlight the crucial role of local solidarity policies. The collective's third report, released in November 2025, detailed the increasing fragmentation of access to public services, complicating their use and undermining universal rights. In both rural and urban areas, the state's presence is diminishing across all sectors. Successive governments have enforced severe budget cuts on local authorities while shifting public policy responsibilities onto them, thereby weakening solidarity mechanisms.
On a dedicated platform, the coalition emphasizes that municipalities serve as « the first link in a collective response to population needs ». Cécile Duflot, executive director of Oxfam, states: « Social cohesion, in our disrupted world and amid the worrying international situation we face, is built at the local level ». Arnaud Bontemps, co-spokesperson for the Nos services publics collective, adds: « We do not want the electoral debate to revolve solely around a question of casting. Mayors, through their political choices, can change citizens' lives ».
The organizations urge candidates to commit to 14 specific demands within their municipal competencies, to preserve and strengthen local public services amid current challenges.
