One and a half months before the March 2026 municipal elections, socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire, head of the left-wing union list excluding La France insoumise, presented his program to Le Monde on Thursday, February 5. He prioritizes housing and commits to not increasing Paris's debt. He assumes a break in method with outgoing mayor Anne Hidalgo, his first deputy from 2018 to 2024.
Emmanuel Grégoire, designated head of the left-wing union list excluding La France insoumise for the Paris municipal elections in March 2026, unveiled several measures from his program in an interview with Le Monde on Thursday, February 5, 2026. As head of this list, the former first deputy to Anne Hidalgo (Socialist Party) emphasizes housing, a major concern for Parisians.
Asked about the housing crisis, with the City already at the legal threshold of 25% social housing, Grégoire states: "My foundation is the right to live in Paris, and the first battle is housing." He aims to reach 30% social housing by 2035, plus 10% intermediate housing, totaling 40% public housing and representing 60,000 new units.
To achieve this, he identifies three main levers: using the remaining land reserves to build a few thousand units, and primarily projects to convert offices into housing. Additionally, he commits to not increasing the City's debt, marking a "break in method" with outgoing mayor Anne Hidalgo, whom he served from 2018 to 2024.
This program comes amid Paris's ongoing housing crisis, with debates on balancing urban development and affordability.
