France held the first round of its 2026 municipal elections with nearly 48.7 million voters participating. High abstention rates were noted, attributed to distrust in politics. Many smaller municipalities will elect mayors in the first round due to limited competition. In major cities like Paris, Marseille, and Lyon, the races are competitive, with various candidates vying for positions. The far-right National Rally and hard-left France Unbowed made significant gains. Attention now shifts to negotiations for the second round of voting, which could reshape the political landscape ahead of the presidential election. Teljes cikk (Euronews.com)