France faces high-stakes municipal elections as the far-right Rassemblement National leads in major cities, forcing a crucial test for the tactical Republican Front and President Emmanuel Macron's weakened Renaissance party.Local campaign volatility has intensified, marked by physical confrontations between rival slates in Étampes and efforts by professional athletes to engage youth voters in Dammarie-les-Lys.In
Paris, Mayor
Anne Hidalgo actively campaigns for
Emmanuel Grégoire while warning that a victory for rival
Rachida Dati would endanger democratic norms.