The first round of France's municipal elections saw both the far-right and far-left parties claim significant gains. Nearly 49 million people were eligible to vote in the elections, which will determine thousands of local councillors and mayors in their municipalities. In races where no absolute majority is reached, a second round will be held on March 22. In Paris, projections see Emmanuel Grégoire finishing ahead of his conservative challenger, Rachida Dati. In Marseille, France's second-largest city, the Socialists are projected to remain in power with the incumbent Benoît Payan. In Perpignan, the only major city where the National Rally had previously governed, projections point to the re-election of Mayor Louis Aliot.