2026 Municipal Elections: National Rally Fails in Marseille and Toulon

A Mixed Result for the National Rally

The second round of the municipal elections on Sunday, March 22, delivered a mixed verdict for the National Rally. While Jordan Bardella hailed "the RN's greatest breakthrough in its history," the party failed in the major cities it hoped to conquer — Marseille, Toulon, and Nîmes — while winning the fifth-largest city in France, Nice, thanks to its ally Éric Ciotti.

Marseille, Toulon, Nîmes: The Glass Ceiling Persists

In Marseille, the country's second-largest city, incumbent Mayor Benoît Payan (left) was comfortably re-elected with 54.6% of the vote, relegating RN candidate Franck Allisio to 39.1%. LR candidate Martine Vassal obtained only 6.3%, confirming the collapse of the traditional right in the Phocaean city.

In Toulon, incumbent Mayor Josée Massi (various right) resisted RN candidate Laure Lavalette, winning with 52.6% against 42.7%. A bitter defeat for the party, which had made this city in the Var one of its priority targets.

In Nîmes, Vincent Bouget, candidate of the left-wing union (excluding LFI), won the mayorship with 41.5% against the RN's Julien Sanchez (37.3%), in a tight three-way race that ultimately benefited the republican front.

Nice: Éric Ciotti's Trophy

It was in Nice that the Le Pen camp achieved its most resounding victory. Éric Ciotti, an ally of the RN since his break with Les Républicains, defeated incumbent Mayor Christian Estrosi (Horizons) with 48.54% of the vote against 37.20%, seizing 52 of the 69 seats on the municipal council. Estrosi promptly announced his withdrawal from Nice political life. This conquest of France's fifth-largest city constitutes the most important municipal gain in the history of the French far right.

Philippe Re-elected, Eyes Turned to 2027

In Le Havre, former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe was re-elected for a third term with 47.71% of the vote in a three-way race, consolidating his status as a credible candidate for the 2027 presidential election. In Paris, Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire succeeded Anne Hidalgo, confirming the left's foothold in the capital.

What Lessons for the Presidential Election?

The RN claims dozens of new mayoralties in small and medium-sized towns, from Carcassonne to Vierzon, marking an unprecedented territorial presence. But the failures in the major metropolitan areas are a reminder that the "glass ceiling" still resists the dynamics of the republican front.

For Marine Le Pen, facing a five-year ban from holding office, these results complicate the presidential strategy. Jordan Bardella has said he is ready to be the RN candidate in 2027 if Le Pen "should be prevented" from running. But without a symbolic victory in a major city like Marseille or Toulon, the demonstration of governmental credibility remains incomplete — one year before a presidential election that promises to be more open than ever.