Ahead of the 2026 municipal elections, Les Républicains and Horizons are forging natural local partnerships, while La France insoumise pursues a solitary strategy against the united front of other left-wing forces.
The French municipal elections are scheduled for March 15 and 22, 2026. On the right, Bruno Retailleau, president of Les Républicains (LR), dreams of a 'blue wave.' Without a national agreement, LR and Horizons, Édouard Philippe's party, are allying locally due to political proximity. 'We share a history and ideas with people at Horizons. Most of their elected officials come from us,' notes Alexandre Portier, LR deputy from Rhône. Édouard Philippe, a former LR member, maintains cordial relations with Retailleau, both opposed to Emmanuel Macron. 'With LR, it's a natural alliance because they are already our local partners,' observes Christophe Béchu, Horizons' general secretary, who has LR support for his re-election in Angers. Horizons remains vigilant against potential LR alliances with the far right.
On the left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon's La France insoumise (LFI) will go alone in most communes. In contrast, Ecologists, Socialists, and Communists have agreed on first-round pacts. Marine Tondelier, national secretary of the Ecologists, relies on these alliances to defend 2020 wins in Lyon, Bordeaux, and Strasbourg, following the 2024 European setback. Though an advocate of the Nouveau Front populaire, she prioritizes pragmatism with Socialists to avoid losses that could harm her 2027 primary bid.
