France: Municipal elections set for march 15 and 22, 2026
France will hold its next municipal elections on March 15 and 22, 2026, government spokesperson Sophie Primas announced on Wednesday after the weekly Council of Ministers meeting.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau presented the decree confirming these dates, which mark an important change in the voting system for Paris, Lyon, and Marseille.
A reform passed in early July by Parliament introduces a double-ballot system for these three major cities. Voters will cast two separate ballots: one for electing representatives to the central city council (such as the Council of Paris and the municipal councils of Lyon and Marseille), who will then choose the mayor, and another for electing representatives of each district (arrondissement in Paris, sectors in Lyon and Marseille).
This change brings an end to the electoral framework established by the “PLM law” of 1982. Until now, voters in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille elected lists of candidates at the district or sector level, with leading candidates simultaneously serving both in local district councils and in the central city council.
The 2026 municipal elections will therefore not only renew local leadership across France but also test this new electoral mechanism in its largest metropolitan areas.
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