French court annuls RN municipal victory in Wittelsheim over campaign irregularities

Strasbourg court ruling

On Tuesday, 6 October 2026, the administrative court in Strasbourg annulled the municipal election in the town of Wittelsheim, located in the Haut-Rhin department near Mulhouse. The ruling invalidates the election of Rassemblement National candidate Raphaële Schober, a retired gendarme who had secured the mayor's office in March 2026. Wittelsheim, home to approximately 10,000 residents, was the only municipality won by the Rassemblement National across the entire Alsace region during the municipal voting. The legal challenge that led to the decision was brought forward through formal appeals filed by both the prefecture of Haut-Rhin and the outgoing centrist mayor, Yves Goepfert.

Irregularities cited by judges

The administrative court based its decision on two specific procedural irregularities that compromised the integrity of the vote. First, the ballot papers used in the first round by the list finishing in third place failed to state the Italian nationality of one of its candidates. Under the French Electoral Code, mentioning non-French European Union nationality on ballots is a mandatory requirement designed to ensure full information for voters. Second, the court pointed to statements posted on Facebook by a candidate on the Rassemblement National list during the closing stages of the campaign. The judges concluded that these late online remarks introduced a fresh political controversy at a point when opposing lists could no longer mount an effective response.

The irregularities altered the sincerity of the ballot and justify the annulment of the electoral operations in the municipality, particularly in light of the narrow margin of votes between the first and second lists.

March election context

In the March 2026 municipal election, Raphaële Schober finished clearly ahead in the initial round of voting. During the second round, negotiations to establish a united republican front between competing political groups collapsed, leaving four separate lists on the ballot. Schober went on to defeat incumbent mayor Yves Goepfert by a margin of 17 votes. Given how close the final tally was between the first and second lists, the court determined that the identified campaign and ballot infractions were significant enough to cast doubt on the outcome.

Appeal procedures and next steps

The ruling issued by the Strasbourg administrative court is not yet final, as parties have the legal right to lodge an appeal with the Conseil d'État within a one-month window starting from official notification. While an appeal is pending, the municipal councillors and officials proclaimed elected in March will remain in their posts and continue managing town affairs. Should the Conseil d'État uphold the annulment, or if no appeal is filed, local authorities will be legally required to organise fresh municipal elections in Wittelsheim within three months of the final judgment.