French voters voted to elect mayors in Paris, Marseille, and over 1,500 other cities and towns in a bid to test the far-right's strength and the resilience of mainstream parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The National Rally (RN) has struggled to make significant gains in municipal elections, despite re-elected in several cities but failed to secure significant wins beyond its southern and northern bastions. The second round of Marseille will see the far right National Rally against the incumbent Socialist mayor. In Paris, opinion polls suggest a close race with either the conservatives or the left, within their margins of error. The outcome of the municipal elections does not necessarily predict who will win in the April 20 27 presidential election, but trends in popularity and alliances can be seen in an increasingly fragmented landscape.