Briefing: French local elections: Far-right RN fails to gain ground in major cities outside the South
Strategic angle: The Rassemblement National aimed to regain a foothold in France's largest cities, hoping to return to municipal councils one year ahead of the presidential election. This gamble has largely failed.
French voters head to the polls for the first round of local elections
While most towns will have elected their mayors by this Sunday night, several major cities could face a fiercely contested second-round run-off next week.
Left-wing candidate Emmanuel Grégoire tops first round of Paris mayoral race
Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire leads ahead of former culture minister Rachida Dati in the Paris mayoral race.
Briefing: 2026 French municipal elections: Voter abstention reaches levels unprecedented except during the pandemic
Strategic angle: Between 41.5% and 44% of registered voters did not cast a ballot on Sunday, March 15, marking an unprecedented level of abstention.
Briefing: Kazakhstan voters back constitutional overhaul, exit polls show
Strategic angle: Voters overwhelmingly approved sweeping reforms in a referendum that could tighten presidential control over institutions and raise concerns about civil liberties.
France picks mayors in test of political mood ahead of 2027 polls
Polling stations across mainland France have opened for the first round of the municipal elections, with uncertain outcomes in major cities.
Briefing: 2026 Municipal Elections: First-Round Results Live
Strategic angle: Follow the 2026 municipal elections' first-round results in real time with our interactive map.
Briefing: 'Orbán betrayed Hungarian freedom': Magyar accuses PM of inviting Russian agents to rig the vote
Strategic angle: Opposition leader Péter Magyar labels Viktor Orbán a traitor, alleging Russian interference in upcoming elections.
Briefing: French municipal elections: Follow live
Strategic angle: On March 15 and 22, over 48 million voters across more than 34,000 French municipalities will elect their municipal councils and determine the mayors who will represent them for six years.
Briefing: Republic of Congo votes in presidential election
Strategic angle: President Dennis Sassou N'Guesso, 82, seems set to win a fifth term in a row in Sunday's election in the Republic of Congo.
Briefing: Germany news: Merz faces new election test in Hesse
Strategic angle: The far-right AfD is poised for fresh gains in local elections in western Hesse state. As fuel prices soar, German MPs are urging measures to offset the pain.
Briefing: France: Far-right strength put to test in local elections
Strategic angle: Voters in France are heading to the polls in local elections seen as a litmus test for next year's presidential vote.
Briefing: In France's municipal elections, 2027 presidential race looms large
Strategic angle: France holds municipal elections on Sunday – including for the mayor of Paris – less than a year before the 2027 presidential vote.
Briefing: Vietnam: Polls open in one-party election
Strategic angle: The Communist Party has fielded nearly 93% of the total candidates in the election.
Briefing: Being a local has become a key selling point in France's municipal elections
Strategic angle: Candidates in France's municipal elections have made every effort to highlight their local roots, a symbolic asset that signals legitimacy, but is it enough for everyone?
Briefing: Germany's Greens: More than leftist, woke ecologists?
Strategic angle: Cem Özdemir won the election in Baden-Württemberg partly by abandoning many of his Green Party's core issues. His party is still debating whether this was a good move.
Briefing: Russia working to 'tip scale' for Orban in Hungary election
Strategic angle: Viktor Orban has long been pro-Russia. Now, there are signs that the Kremlin is working to secure his reelection and turning Hungary’s election into a referendum on whether voters want to be closer to the EU or Russia.
Briefing: As veto drags on, Brussels wonders: Will Orbán relent before the elections?
Strategic angle: Officials in Brussels are concerned that Viktor Orbán's veto on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine may extend beyond Hungary's elections.
The race for Paris: How the capital’s housing crisis could determine the city’s next mayor
With France preparing to vote in the first round of the municipal elections on Sunday, Paris has become a battleground between left- and right-wing forces fighting to shape the capital’s future.
Briefing: Republic of the Congo elections: A foregone conclusion?
Strategic angle: Voters in the Republic of the Congo (Brazaville) go to the polls this Sunday to elect their next leader, with predictions favoring President Denis Sassou Nguesso.