Published on: 02/18/2026 - 5:09 p.m. Modified on: 02/20/2026 - 3:23 p.m.

► In brief

The developments in the investigation into the death of nationalist activist Quentin Deranque embarrass La France insoumise, called by the government to exclude Raphaël Arnault from its parliamentary group, one of his parliamentary assistants, Jacques-Élie Favrot, appearing among those arrested by the police.

The socialists "can no longer have an alliance" with LFI, including in the second round of municipal elections, said François Hollande, who describes the Mélenchonist movement as "extreme left" through its links with La Jeune Garde.

The president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, called for "a common front" in the municipal elections against La France insoumise, which according to him must "answer for its actions" after the death of the nationalist activist Quentin Deranque, in particular the deputy Raphaël Arnault whose resignation he called for. “The far left killed” and “Jean-Luc Mélenchon has to be held accountable,” declared Jordan Bardella, calling “to put in place a cordon santé” against LFI, which in his eyes is “a political movement that has today come completely out of the Republic.”

One month before the municipal elections, SOS Racisme launched a poster campaign in Perpignan for an "anti-racist" city, targeting the mayor RN Louis Aliot, who immediately denounced "propaganda" and began a counter-campaign. "For us, it's Louis", respond the supporters of the outgoing mayor and candidate for his re-election, on a leaflet where the famous hand of SOS Racisme is no longer yellow but blue-white-red, while the legend "don't touch my mayor" has replaced the slogan "don't touch my friend" created by the association in the 1980s.

Emmanuel Grégoire, candidate of the United Left outside LFI for the municipal elections in Paris, announced to file a complaint for defamation against Rachida Dati, his right-wing competitor, after the latter's accusations. “Sometimes, you can lead meetings and the team of Mr. Brossat, Mr. Belliard and Mr. Grégoire sends you people to try to attack you or to attack the people with whom you meet,” Rachida Dati had declared a little earlier.

The National Rally withdrew its nomination from its municipal candidate in Belfort, Quentin Macullo, the party said. Appointed in October, the young 23-year-old candidate was caught up by his past publications on social networks. In particular a tweet dating from 2022, revealed by Mediapart, in which he counted “72% of foreign-sounding first names in the last birth census in Belfort”, or 18 of the 25 newborns mentioned in the municipal bulletin for June of this year. “I didn’t even count Elijah and Samuel of Hebrew origin,” he insisted.

► Municipal elections 2026: a national issue

The National Rally wants to increase its momentum before the presidential election

By presenting a record number of 650 lists, the National Rally hopes to win “several dozen municipalities” during the municipal elections (March 15 and 22). The far-right party thus intends to continue its current dynamic and then head straight towards the 2027 presidential election.

► The report

Being mayor “is being a shock absorber of popular anger”

Every day, France's 35,000 mayors are on the front line to meet the expectations of citizens and the most exposed to their anger, which sometimes takes the form of death threats. These elected officials also have to deal with declining public funding and ever-increasing administrative constraints. A headache for these Swiss Army knives of the Republic, which includes Romain Colas, mayor of Boussy-Saint-Antoine, southeast of Paris, since 2008.

► The battle for Paris: episode 3

Rachida Dati’s 100% social media campaign

Keeping traditional media at bay, Rachida Dati campaigns almost exclusively on social networks. The videos of the minister candidate for mayor of Paris play on proximity with Parisians. She multiplies her campaign promises there and also ventures into eastern Paris to chase the votes of voters feeling abandoned by the left.

► Maintenance

Amine Kessaci, candidate in Marseille: “I have an enemy in this campaign, it’s drug trafficking”

Marseille environmental activist Amine Kessaci, very committed to the fight against drug trafficking, is a candidate in the municipal elections in Marseille on the list of outgoing left-wing mayor Benoît Payan. He was the guest of France 24.

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► The focus

In Marseille, duel between left and far right in sight

While parliamentary debates continue to make headlines in France, the rest of the country is preparing for municipal elections which will be held in mid-March. The stakes are high, particularly in large cities. We leave for Marseille, the second largest city in France, infamous for its violence linked to drug trafficking. Security is at the heart of the campaign, and two candidates are neck and neck in the polls: the outgoing various left-wing mayor Benoît Payan and the RN candidate, Franck Allisio. Report from our colleagues from France 2.

► In Political Tuesday

Laurent Jacobelli (RN): “Mélenchon imported the violence of the ultra-left to the National Assembly”

Laurent Jacobelli, deputy of the National Rally of Moselle and spokesperson for the party, reacts to the death of Quentin Deranque in Lyon, a 23-year-old far-right activist who was severely beaten in Lyon. For the RN deputy, “the death of Quentin marks a turning point” and “LFI has blood on its hands”. Laurent Jacobelli also discusses the visit to Algeria by Minister of the Interior Laurent Nunez, and the 2027 presidential election.

► The number of the week: 80

At 80 years old, these local barons looking for one more mandate

Laurent Cathala, Jacques Kossowski, André Laignel, Patrick Ollier and even André Santini: all octogenarians and mayors for decades, they are standing in the municipal elections in their city, where the opposition holds back its blows against these local barons.

Laurent Cathala, 80 years old, mayor of Créteil (Val-de-Marne) and André Laignel, 83 years old, mayor of Issoudun (Indre), both socialists, have led their city since 1977 and are running for a ninth term.

In Hauts-de-Seine, André Santini (UDI), 85 years old, has reigned over Issy-les-Moulineaux since 1980, Jacques Kossowski (LR), also 85 years old, has been mayor of Courbevoie since 1995 and Patrick Ollier (LR), 81 years old, has been at the head of Rueil-Malmaison since 2004.

These mayors claim a visceral attachment to their municipality. “It is the love of my city which is at the heart of my approach”, indicates André Laignel to AFP, when Patrick Ollier evokes his “total passion”. “When we love we don’t count,” declared Laurent Cathala, who heads a city-prefecture of more than 90,000 inhabitants, in December.

► Unusual information from the campaign

Dogs don't vote, but their owners do. And in Paris, the candidates want to coax them. Rachida Dati, head of the LR list who regularly organizes dog aperitifs in her town hall in the 7th arrondissement, has dedicated a whole list of proposals to these animals. Pierre-Yves Bournazel, from the center-right, said he wanted to put the animal condition "at the heart" of his municipal action, for example by promising an anti-abuse brigade. And on the left, Emmanuel Grégoire actually has an Instagram account “Hot Dogs with Emmanuel Grégoire”, dedicated to “the most niche subject of municipal elections”.

In Sainte-Léocadie, we have been mayor from father to son... for more than 130 years! The septuagenarian Jean-Marie Aris is the current councilor, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. But the municipal elections in March will mark the end of a dynasty in this commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales. After nine mandates, Jean-Marie Aris is stepping down and his son will not take over, according to the newspaper Ouest-France.

Toulouse? No, Tolosa. This is how the candidate Pierre Pezzin, formerly of the Barclays bank, wants to rename the pink city if he is elected. “It is our original name, that of the capital of the Celts, the Visigoths, the Romans, the Middle Ages, the one that resonates through 2,000 years of history,” he says on the website of his citizens’ list. The man likes shock measures. He also proposes removing parking meters, which are guilty of causing “a state of stress” to drivers.

With AFP

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