In the run-up to the 2026 municipal elections, this Ifop survey for La Tribune Dimanche paints a picture of French people who are very attached to their communes, but demanding of their elected representatives. Firstly, the living environment remains a strong point: almost nine out of ten residents of communes with 5,000 or more inhabitants say they are satisfied with living in their commune, including a quarter who are “very satisfied” (85% overall). On the other hand, the assessment of the town’s evolution is more nuanced: only 29% feel that their commune has changed “rather for the better” since 2020, 30% “rather for the worse”, and four out of ten see no real change (41%).
Nevertheless, the overall view of local action remains positive. Seven out of ten French people say they are satisfied with the work carried out by their local council (70%), and two-thirds say they are satisfied with their mayor (62%). However, this satisfaction does not guarantee automatic support for the mayor: looking ahead to 2026, the country appears to be split in two, with half of French people hoping for the re-election of their mayor (50%) and the other half preferring alternation (50%).
This future election promises above all to be a local vote, focused on local projects and results. The first decisive criterion put forward by voters, far ahead of the others, is the program and projects of the lists in contention (71%). Next come the outgoing team’s track record (57%) and the personality of the mayoral candidate (51%), while the political label of the lists (39%) or the opinion on the policies of the president and the government (33%) carry much less weight.
In the same spirit, very concrete issues will structure the vote. At the top of the list is the safety of people and property, deemed “decisive” by more than three-quarters of voters (76%), ahead of the city’s management and finances (70%), cleanliness and maintenance (66%) and health care and services (66%). Finally, when asked what will count most in their choice in 2026, six out of ten French people say they will give greater importance to local issues (60%), compared with just 12% who will give priority to national issues, with the remainder putting the two on an equal footing (28%).
