In the aftermath of the first round of municipal elections on Sunday, 15 March 2026, numerous left-wing candidates announced plans to merge their lists with those of La France Insoumise (LFI) ahead of the second round. CRIF strongly condemned these electoral agreements, describing them as a deeply troubling signal, particularly with regard to the fight against antisemitism.
While the majority of French communes elected their mayors outright in the first round, results in many cities remain uncertain and will be determined following the second round on Sunday, 22 March. Candidates who received more than 10% of the vote had until Tuesday, 17 March, to decide whether to withdraw or maintain their list for the second round. They were also permitted to merge with any list that had received at least 5% of the vote.
From the outset of negotiations, several left-wing candidates – particularly in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Lille, Montpellier, Rennes, and Rouen – refused to ally with LFI lists, in line with the commitments made during their campaigns. In contrast, in many other communes across France, including Lyon, Toulouse, Limoges, Grenoble, Strasbourg, Besançon, Brest, Avignon, Clermont-Ferrand, Nantes, and Tours, socialist and Green candidates announced their decision to merge with LFI lists, often contradicting their campaign promises.
CRIF President Yonathan Arfi issued an official statement on Tuesday, 17 March 2026, describing these agreements as a “republican betrayal” and a “moral failure”. CRIF emphasised that forming joint lists with LFI signals that the fight against antisemitism is treated as an electoral variable rather than an absolute principle, undermining efforts to combat prejudice.
The organisation also expressed “republican respect for those on the left who refuse such compromises” and praised the consistent refusal of the Republican right to ally with the Rassemblement National in Paris, Marseille, and across France.
Regional CRIF delegations also voiced their indignation in response to these mergers:
- Lyon: CRIF Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes denounced the agreement between the incumbent mayor and LFI
- Grenoble: CRIF Grenoble-Dauphiné warned against any alliance with LFI
- Strasbourg: CRIF Alsace called to “refuse all alliances with LFI”
- Tours: CRIF Centre Val-de-Loire condemned the incumbent mayor’s alliance with LFI
CRIF stressed that, in a period marked by rising antisemitic violence and broader religious hatred, forming alliances with La France Insoumise sends a deeply worrying signal regarding the fight against antisemitism and the preservation of republican values.
The organisation warned that the entry of LFI officials into municipal councils presents a real risk of exacerbating political hatred and local violence. On the evening of the election of the new LFI mayor of Saint-Denis, chants supporting Gaza by activists within the town hall illustrated a mandate marked by ideological radicalisation, persistent hostility towards Israel, and heightened risks of local tensions and public disorder.
