On Sunday, French voters participated in the second and final round of municipal elections across more than 1,500 communes, including the closely watched races in Paris and Marseille. The competition is heating up, particularly in Paris, where Emmanuel Grégroire leads a united left and green coalition, facing off against conservative candidate Rachida Dati and hard-left La France Insoumise contender Sophia Chikirou. Meanwhile, in Marseille, incumbent left-wing Mayor Benoît Payan is vying for re-election against far-right candidate Franck Allisio and conservative Martine Vassal, following the withdrawal of hard-left candidate Sébastien Delogu. As voting unfolded in Paris, the stakes have never been... [Continue Reading]