Marked by the coronavirus epidemic, the 2020 municipal elections will remain historic for their record levels of abstention. In the context of a health crisis, it is the environmentalists who stood out with victories in several major cities. The National Rally, meanwhile, captured Perpignan, a city of over 100,000 inhabitants.
With 40 to 41% voter turnout in the second round, the 2020 municipal elections did not attract half of the French to the polls. That’s 16 to 17 points less than the last municipal elections in 2014. The health context had the final say on this edition, but the rise in abstention has been consistent for several years and increased significantly in 2020 (34% in 2001, 35% in 2008, 38% in 2013, 51% in this second round).
The ecological lists triumph
The environmentalists are the big winners of this electoral weekend. With victories in Lyon, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Poitiers, and Besançon, among others, they take another step towards the upcoming presidential elections. In Marseille, Michèle Rubirola, who brings together the entire left including Europe Ecology-The Greens (EELV), led decisively over Martine Vassal (39.9% to 29.8) and launched the city into the ecological wave. On the other side of France in Lille, the suspense was intense until the end: Martine Aubry held onto her stronghold by a hair against ecologist Stéphane Baly (40% to 39.1).
After this green wave, the President of the Republic is expected to convene the members of the Citizen’s Climate Convention on Monday to whom he intends to provide “strong responses.”
The Socialist Party (PS) and The Republicans (LR) maintain status quo
Anne Hidalgo (PS) easily retains the Paris mayoralty with 48.7% of the votes against LR candidate Rachida Dati (33.8%). However, she lost 2 districts compared to 2014. Rennes, Nantes, Le Mans, and Brest remain PS. Lille too, by 226 votes.
For The Republicans, the second round was mixed. Despite the loss of Bordeaux, the right-wing party held onto Nice, where Christian Estrosi was re-elected with nearly 60% of the vote, as well as Toulouse (Jean-Luc Moudenc leads Antoine Maurice, Miscellaneous Left, by 4 points). The Republicans claim victory in half of the cities with more than 9,000 inhabitants.
Tough evening for La République en Marche, Perpignan saves the National Rally
Agnès Buzyn, former Minister of Health, finished far behind Anne Hidalgo and Rachida Dati with only 13.30% of the vote. The LREM candidate failed to change the trend and will not enter the Paris Council. However, there was satisfaction for Edouard Philippe, the current Prime Minister, who was re-elected in Le Havre and François Bayrou, who retained his seat in Pau.
With 52.7% of the vote, Louis Aliot (RN) won in Perpignan, allowing the Le Penist party to take control of its first city with over 100,000 inhabitants since Jean-Marie Le Chevallier’s election in Toulon in 1995. Conversely, the RN’s only municipality in Ile-de-France, Mantes-la-Ville, was lost to Sami Damergy (independent).
It is noteworthy that 5 of the 10 largest French cities will be led by women, namely Paris, Marseille, Strasbourg, Nantes, and Lille.
