NEWS ANALYSIS. The second round will be less promising than hoped for the far right, despite significant gains in cities in the southeast, particularly in Marseille. Leading in Paris and Montpellier, the Socialists will need to clarify their positions regarding radical left candidates, who performed well.

The highest-profile contest is for the mayorship of Paris - which has been under left-wing control for 25 years.

Aside from major cities like Paris and Marseille, the local election results from smaller towns like Le Havre and Menton are expected to reveal early political trends ahead of the…