Marseille Remains Socialist: Payan Defeats RN’s Allisio in Mayoral Election

Marseille remains under socialist control after incumbent Benoît Payan secured a decisive victory in Sunday’s mayoral election, defeating far-right candidate Franck Allisio by a margin of 14 percentage points. Payan garnered 54.34% of the vote, while Allisio received 40.30%, according to official results.

The outcome represents a significant setback for the Rassemblement National (RN) and consolidates the left’s hold on France’s second-largest city, following a surprising win in the 2020 municipal elections that ended 25 years of right-wing rule. Martine Vassal, the candidate representing the right and center, secured just over 5% of the vote, enough to gain four seats on the municipal council.

Voter turnout saw a slight increase compared to the first round, exceeding 55%. Payan’s success was largely attributed to strong performance in the western districts of Marseille, winning in ten of the city’s sixteen arrondissements – the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 14th, 15th, and 16th. Allisio, however, managed to secure victories in six arrondissements.

The election unfolded after a complex series of political maneuvers. Payan opted not to form an alliance with Sébastien Delogu, the candidate from the La France Insoumise (LFI) party, despite Delogu’s strong showing in the first round with nearly 12% of the vote. Delogu ultimately withdrew from the race to prevent a potential victory for Allisio, while Vassal remained in the contest representing the center-right bloc.

Payan demonstrated particular strength in the city center, achieving 84.79% of the vote in the 1st arrondissement, a 72-point lead over Allisio. He also secured substantial support in the 3rd (78.62%), 2nd (72.80%), and 5th (70.34%) arrondissements – areas where Delogu had previously performed well.

Allisio found success in the eastern parts of the city, winning the 11th arrondissement with 55.05% of the vote, a 16-point advantage over Payan, and the 12th arrondissement with 53.53%. He also secured a win in the 13th arrondissement, with 43.92% compared to Payan’s 30.8%. Allisio’s victories in the 13th and 8th arrondissements, the most populous in the city, underscored his ability to mobilize support in densely populated areas.

The RN significantly increased its vote share compared to the 2020 election. Allisio received 121,310 votes, a more than threefold increase from the 35,268 votes garnered by RN candidates in the second round of the previous mayoral election.

While failing to capture the mayoral office, the RN made gains by winning control of two of the city’s eight sector councils. Olivier Rioult was elected in the 11th and 12th arrondissements with 49.59%, defeating the incumbent LR mayor, Sylvain Souvestre, who received only 15%. Éléonore Bez secured victory in the 9th and 10th arrondissements with 50.41%, surpassing Pierre Huguet (left-wing alliance) and Laure-Agnès Caradec (center-right). However, in the 13th and 14th arrondissements, Tina Biard Sansonetti of the left-wing alliance defeated Sandrine D’Angio (RN) by 8 points.

Attention now shifts to the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area, where the composition of the new council remains uncertain following the departure of Martine Vassal. The council is scheduled to convene in early April.