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| 2020 Paris municipal election | |
|---|---|
| Election name | 2020 Paris municipal election |
| Country | France |
| Type | municipal |
| Previous election | 2014 Paris municipal election |
| Previous year | 2014 |
| Next election | 2026 Paris municipal election |
| Next year | 2026 |
| Election date | 15 and 28 March 2020 |
2020 Paris municipal election
The 2020 Paris municipal election elected the mayor and the councilors of Paris for the 2020–2026 term. Held in two rounds on 15 and 28 March 2020, the vote occurred amid the emerging COVID-19 pandemic in France and followed political shifts after the terms of Anne Hidalgo and the 2014 municipal cycle. Major contenders included lists affiliated with Socialist Party, La République En Marche!, The Republicans, Europe Ecology – The Greens, and various left-wing coalitions, reflecting broader national contests such as the 2017 French legislative election and the 2019 European Parliament election in France.
Paris municipal politics developed from the 19th-century transformations led by Baron Haussmann and the Third Republic's municipal reforms; modern governance was shaped after the 1977 election when Jacques Chirac became a dominant urban figure. The 2014 Paris municipal election returned Anne Hidalgo as mayor, succeeding Bernet Dominique and consolidating the Socialist Party's position in the capital. National realignments after the 2016 French presidential election and the 2017 victory of Emmanuel Macron and La République En Marche! altered alliances, while environmental debates influenced by the Notre-Dame de Paris fire symbolism and climate activism intersected with municipal priorities. The 2019 local mobilizations for sustainability, including protests tied to Greta Thunberg-inspired movements and the activism of Extinction Rebellion, set the stage for strong performance by Europe Ecology – The Greens in urban contests.
The municipal election used the French two-round list proportional representation system with a majority bonus for municipalities over 1,000 inhabitants, applied to Paris's 20 arrondissements and the citywide council. Seats were allocated according to rules established by the 1973 municipal electoral law and subsequent legislative adjustments debated in the French National Assembly and the Senate (France). Lists that achieved an absolute majority in the first round won the majority premium; otherwise, a second round allowed lists with at least 10% of the vote to compete, and lists with 5–10% could merge, following procedures similar to those used in the 2008 municipal reforms. The mayor was elected by the newly constituted Council of Paris, whose members are elected in arrondissement-level contests that feed into citywide representation. Voting occurred under French suffrage rules overseen by the Ministry of the Interior (France) and local prefectural administrations.
Key candidates included incumbent Anne Hidalgo (Socialist, supported by a broad left coalition), Rachida Dati (The Republicans, former European Commissioner), and Benjamin Griveaux, initially the candidate for La République En Marche!, later replaced by Agnès Buzyn after his withdrawal. The left presented an eventual united list combining Socialist Party and Europe Ecology – The Greens figures such as David Belliard and Gilles Le Gendre-aligned local actors. The campaign centered on issues like urban planning tied to Hôtel de Ville (Paris), housing linked to debates over social housing managed by institutions like Régie Immobilière de la Ville de Paris, public transport controversies involving RATP Group, and air quality debates connected to Airparif. Security and policing featured in exchanges referencing municipal policing roles vis-à-vis Ministry of the Interior (France). The assault on campaigning by the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic in France led to dramatic constraints: the first round proceeded under health advisories while the second round was postponed and carried out alongside national emergency measures, causing candidate withdrawals and strategic alliances reshuffling reminiscent of late withdrawals in prior municipal contests such as the 2001 and 2008 cycles.
Opinion polling firms including IFOP, OpinionWay, Ifop-Fiducial, and Harris Interactive conducted frequent surveys tracking voter intentions across Parisian arrondissements. Early polls showed fragmentation between La République En Marche! and The Republicans, while later surveys indicated consolidation of the left around Anne Hidalgo and surges for Europe Ecology – The Greens in inner arrondissements associated with environmental agendas. Polls reflected national trends seen in the 2019 European Parliament election in France and the 2019–2020 local protest movements, with volatility driven by the emergence and withdrawal of high-profile figures such as Benjamin Griveaux and the arrival of Agnès Buzyn. Polling margins tightened in several battleground arrondissements, mirroring historical urban contests like the 2008 Paris municipal election.
The election produced a victory for the incumbent Anne Hidalgo, who secured a second term as mayor through coalition strength and arrondissement-level gains by allied lists. Europe Ecology – The Greens performed strongly in central arrondissements such as the 3rd arrondissement of Paris and the 11th arrondissement of Paris, while The Republicans held ground in western arrondissements like the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The withdrawn La République En Marche! candidacy under Benjamin Griveaux and then Agnès Buzyn failed to translate into a dominant showing, reflecting challenges for La République En Marche! in translating national popularity from the 2017 French presidential election into municipal success. Voter turnout, measured against historical levels in the 2014 cycle and earlier contests like the 2001 municipal election, declined amid the public health crisis, with abstention rates rising especially in the second round.
Following the council's installation, Anne Hidalgo was re-elected mayor by the Council of Paris and formed a municipal administration integrating figures from Europe Ecology – The Greens, Socialist Party, and allied civil society actors. Portfolio allocations involved appointments related to urbanism linked to the Hôtel de Ville (Paris), transport liaison with RATP Group, and environmental policy coordination with agencies like Airparif. Opposition groups including The Republicans and residual La République En Marche! councilors contested aspects of the administration's agenda, leading to political debates in subsequent municipal sessions and interventions before the Conseil d'État on regulatory issues. The election's outcome influenced national municipal strategies for the 2026 municipal cycle and fed into broader political realignments observed after the 2022 French legislative election and the 2027 French presidential election.
Category:Municipal elections in France Category:Politics of Paris