Campaign for Local Elections in France: Lists, Budgets, and Lack of Competition

In France, the campaign ahead of the local elections, scheduled for 2026, has entered a decisive phase, although there is still considerable time until voting day. Articles from the regional press, mainly from the „Sud Ouest” service, document the local dynamics in various departments such as Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne, and Gironde. In many small municipalities, a lack of electoral competition is observed. For example, in the Libournais region in the Gironde department, only one list of candidates was registered in 74 out of 129 municipalities. As local activists report, campaigns in such towns continue „out of respect for the voters,” despite the lack of real competition. This phenomenon often results from difficulties in finding people willing to engage in public life in small, often aging communities. Campaign financing poses another challenge, revealing large disparities between municipalities. In Périgueux, the capital of Dordogne, campaign budgets range from less than 4,000 to as much as 40,000 euros. In smaller towns, candidates often have to improvise, using their own resources and ingenuity, which in French slang is referred to as System D. These differences reflect not only the candidates' wealth but also the scale and costs of running a campaign in a county town versus a village. Simultaneously, across the region, candidates are announcing their lists and programs. In Saint-Capraise-de-Lalinde, Laurent Perea revealed the composition of his list. In Bias, Julien Biremont presented his program to voters. In many cases, such as in Saint-Martin-de-Villeréal in Lot-et-Garonne, „unity lists” are formed around the incumbent mayor, suggesting a desire to continue the current policy. Similarly, in Saint-Hilaire-d'Estissac and Montagnac-la-Crempse in Dordogne, incumbent leaders are heading teams seeking re-election. However, not all municipalities are in agreement. In Gujan-Mestras in Gironde, the first deputy mayor is considered the favorite, but, as the press reports, he is „pursued by his rivals,” heralding a more intense battle. A lack of dialogue between candidates can also be a problem, as evidenced by the example of Boé in Lot-et-Garonne, where the incumbent mayor was absent from a debate organized by „Sud Ouest” and local radio 47 FM, which became a subject of commentary. French local elections (élections municipales) are held every six years. Residents elect municipal councilors, who then select the mayor. The electoral system varies depending on the size of the municipality. In towns with over 1,000 inhabitants, proportional representation with a bonus for the winning list is used, which often leads to the formation of coalitions before or after the elections. In summary, the preliminary phase of the local election campaign in France reveals a landscape that is diverse and heavily dependent on the local context. While traditional political competition takes place in large cities and some medium-sized municipalities, many small communities face democratic challenges such as a lack of candidates and limited resources for campaigning. The process of declaring lists and programs is still ongoing, and the full picture of the electoral contest will take shape as the election date approaches.