Socialist Emmanuel wins Paris mayoral race
Emmanuel Gregoire, a Socialist little known to the French public, was elected mayor of Paris in a runoff vote Sunday, succeeding fellow party member Anne Hidalgo. Soon after claiming victory, Gregoire, 48, took a city bike through the streets of Paris toward City Hall, echoing his promise to make the French Capital greener.
Gregoire beat out prominent conservative contender Rachida Dati, who acknowledged her defeat after partial results were made public.
The race for Paris mayor was part of France’s second round of municipal elections. Sunday’s vote showed clear gains for the traditional left and right, and one major win for the far right in the French Riviera city of Nice. Long a discreet figure in French politics, Gregoire had for years worked by Hidalgo’s side.
Hidalgo was elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020 but chose not to seek a third six-year term after leading the city through the 2015 extremist attacks and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Here are five things to know about Paris’ new face.
A local political career, Gregoire was well-placed to step into the limelight when Hidalgo decided not to seek a third term.
He had joined the Socialist party at 24 in 2002, got involved in Paris politics and eight years later became the chief of staff of Paris’ then-mayor, Bertrand Delanoe. Gregoire subsequently worked in the prime minister’s office under Socialist President Francois Hollande. He was first elected to the Paris City Council in 2014.
