PS victories right across the country – from Paris to Nantes, from Lille to Nancy and Dijon to Montpellier and beyond – show a new rise on the left as socialists and ecologists take root in cities and villages.
PES President Sergei Stanishev said:
“This is strong result for PS. Thanks to dedicated campaigning and a strong message, PS has scored victories right across the country. Voters have lost trust in the Macron project – socialist mayors have been elected to serve their communities with a mission to create the more equal, social and sustainable France that citizens want.
“Olivier Faure was elected to lead PS on the promise of a united and reborn left in France. The green shoots of that effort clearly emerged yesterday. Uniting socialists and ecologists behind a common push for a more just and sustainable society led to these victories. This strategy has now empowered the left to drive forward this agenda in cities and villages across France.”
PS alliances with others on the left have unified a mass of socialist, feminist and environmentalist voters seeking change and new policy priorities for the country.
In the capital, incumbent mayor Anne Hidalgo emerged with a large majority, polling just under half the votes cast after receiving support from Europe Ecologie Les Verts (EELV), the Communists and citizen movements reaching beyond traditional political organisations.
This model proved successful across France, leading to strong victories for the PS and the broader left in a contest between several major political forces. Candidates from the left will head up a hundred cities (more than 30,000 inhabitants), 48 of which will be under PS leadership.