The campaign intensified from late 2024 after mayor Anne Hidalgo announced that she would not seek a third term and said she would remain in office until the end of her mandate in 2026 while preparing her succession within the governing left. [20] [21]
Alliances and strategy
After the Socialist nomination was settled, the Socialist Party (PS), Les Écologistes and the Paris Communist Party (PCF) negotiated a joint first-round list, which was announced in December 2025 with Emmanuel Grégoire heading the alliance and David Belliard and Ian Brossat among its leading partners. [22] [23]
To the left of this alliance, La France insoumise (LFI) maintained an autonomous strategy by investing MP Sophia Chikirou, who campaigned on a distinct platform and rejected a first-round agreement with Grégoire. [24] , [25]
On the right and centre-right, the campaign featured competition and repeated calls for coordination between Rachida Dati and Pierre-Yves Bournazel, which Bournazel resisted while holding to a “neither Dati nor Grégoire” line and leaving open the possibility of second-round discussions. [26] [27]
On the far right, the Rassemblement national launched a list led by MEP Thierry Mariani, describing the campaign as focused on securing representation on the Council of Paris, while Reconquête! MEP Sarah Knafo announced her candidacy in January 2026 and sought to differentiate her list from the RN in the capital. [28] [29]
