Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire elected Paris mayor, vows housing and green reforms

Emmanuel Grégoire, a longtime Socialist figure in city politics, has been elected mayor of the French capital after defeating conservative rival Rachida Dati in the runoff of the municipal elections, succeeding fellow Socialist Anne Hidalgo and maintaining 25 years of left-wing leadership in Paris .

Soon after declaring victory on Sunday, the 48-year-old rode a city bicycle through the streets to City Hall, symbolising his pledge to continue ambitious green policies and cycling expansion across the capital.

The Paris vote was part of France’s wider municipal elections involving about 1,500 communes and seen as a significant political test ahead of the 2027 presidential election . The results showed gains for traditional left and right parties nationwide, while the far right secured a notable victory in the Mediterranean city of Nice.

Grégoire led a broad coalition of Socialists, Greens and Communists , but rejected an alliance with France Unbowed, the hard-left movement linked to Jean‑Luc Mélenchon, saying the parties did not share the same values.

He has spent more than two decades in Paris politics. After joining the Socialist Party in 2002, he became chief of staff to former mayor Bertrand Delanoë and later served as first deputy mayor overseeing budget and urban policy under Hidalgo. He was elected to the Paris City Council in 2014 and later entered national politics as a member of the French National Assembly in 2024 .

During the campaign, Grégoire disclosed he had been a survivor of childhood sexual abuse , saying the incidents occurred during after-school activities at a municipal swimming pool when he was about nine years old.

Housing dominated his campaign. Declaring “Airbnb is my enemy,” he warned short-term tourist rentals were pushing residents out of neighbourhoods. As mayor, he has pledged to build 60,000 social and affordable homes , regulate tourist accommodation, reduce overcrowding at sites such as the Louvre Museum and Montmartre, expand cycling lanes and continue efforts to clean up the River Seine .