France’s National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen’s ally Jordan Bardella, has made significant gains in municipal elections, winning representation in dozens of smaller towns while falling short in major cities.
Bardella described the outcome as a strong result, saying nearly 70 municipalities were secured and around 3,000 RN representatives had entered local councils across the country. The party’s most notable success came in Nice, where its ally Eric Ciotti defeated a candidate backed by President Emmanuel Macron.
Despite these gains, RN candidates were unsuccessful in several key urban centres, including Marseille, Toulon and Nîmes, where they had performed well in earlier rounds but failed to convert those results into victories.
The results mark a substantial increase in RN’s local representation compared to the previous municipal elections, strengthening its influence ahead of France’s Senate elections later this year.
Bardella continues to poll strongly ahead of the 2027 presidential race, leading approval ratings ahead of several centrist rivals. Macron, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, currently holds comparatively low approval ratings, according to recent polling.
