French President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling party suffered a major defeat in municipal elections held on Sunday.
According to the exit polls, the Republic on the Move (LREM) party lost major cities while Europe Ecology, the Green party (EELV), won in Lyon, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Poitiers, Besancon and Marseille.
PARIS MAYOR REELECTED
In Paris, the current mayor Anne Hidalgo -who is supported by EELV and the Communists– emerged with a large majority. After her victory was announced, Hidalgo said voters had chosen to make Paris more “ecological, social and humanist”.
Some 16.5 million eligible voters in around 5,000 cities and towns cast their ballots at polling stations after the first round failed to produce a decisive outcome.
They were required to wear face masks and bring their own pens to reduce the risk of contamination.
Around 60% of voters abstained — a historical record. Abstention was only 37.87% in the second round in 2014.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe defeated a Communist challenger for the mayor’s office in Le Havre with 58.83% of the vote.