Benoît Payan Largely Re-elected Mayor of Marseille in Municipal Elections

Benoît Payan (PS), the incumbent mayor of Marseille, was comfortably re-elected in the second round of the municipal elections on Sunday, March 22, 2026, defeating the Rassemblement National candidate Franck Allisio. Payan's left-wing list, which excluded LFI, secured a comfortable victory.

Key points

• Benoît Payan was credited with 53% to 56.2% of the vote, against 39.1% to 41.5% for Franck Allisio (RN).
• Martine Vassal (supported by the right and center) was estimated to receive around 5% of the votes.
• In the first round, Payan narrowly led Allisio (36.70% vs 35.02%), with Martine Vassal far behind at 12.41%.
• Sébastien Delogu (LFI), who qualified for the second round, ultimately withdrew his list to prevent the RN from winning.
• LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon praised Delogu's withdrawal as showing 'sang-froid' against Payan's 'blind sectarianism' for refusing an alliance.

Why it matters

The re-election of Benoît Payan confirms the resistance of the left-wing coalition in Marseille against the Rassemblement National candidate, contrasting with other results like Éric Ciotti's victory in Nice.