A person rides a bicycle past a campaign poster of Socialistes et Apparentes' MP and candidate for mayor of Paris' Emmanuel Gregoire displayed in Paris on March 19, 2026, ahead of the second round of France's municipal elections. (Photo by Charlotte SIEMON / AFP) CHARLOTTE SIEMON / AFP
A race for the mayor of Paris grew increasingly acrimonious on Thursday, March 19, as Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire accused President Emmanuel Macron of meddling in local politics to weaken his chances, a claim the French leader dismissed as "nonsense." On Sunday, French voters will cast ballots for mayors in major cities, and all eyes are on the battle for Paris.
Rachida Dati, a right-wing former culture minister, hopes to wrest control of the French capital from the left, which has run the city for the last quarter-century. Macron backs her candidacy. But Grégoire, a 48-year-old former deputy of the outgoing mayor, came first in the first round of polls on Sunday, winning 37.98% of the vote, more than 12 points ahead of Dati. Three days before the crucial second-round runoff, Grégoire accused Macron of intervening to boost Dati.
"Anything goes when it comes to winning, even the most egregious moral transgressions," Grégoire said on Franceinfo on Thursday. "Given the international and economic situation, the fact that the president has time to waste on this sort of issue is somewhat incongruous given the office he holds," added Grégoire.
