Emmanuel Grégoire wins Paris mayoral race over pro-Azerbaijani Rachida Dati

(Horizon Weekly) – Emmanuel Grégoire has been elected mayor of Paris, securing a clear victory over right-wing challenger Rachida Dati and extending more than two decades of left-wing leadership in the French capital.

Grégoire, a Socialist and former deputy mayor under Anne Hidalgo, won just over half of the vote, with results placing him between roughly 50 and 52 percent. Dati trailed with just over 41 percent, while far-left candidate Sofia Chikirou finished a distant third.

The 48-year-old’s victory was widely anticipated and confirms Paris’s continued alignment with the political left. Having served as Hidalgo’s deputy from 2018 to 2024, Grégoire enters office with extensive experience at City Hall and has pledged to maintain many of the outgoing administration’s policies, particularly in areas such as environmental planning and social support.

In his first remarks following the win, Grégoire emphasized that his priorities would focus on the city’s most vulnerable residents, stressing the urgency of addressing homelessness and social inequality. He also signalled continuity in Paris’ urban policies, including its strong push toward cycling infrastructure and reduced car use.

The defeat of Rachida Dati marks a significant political setback for the right, which had hoped to reclaim Paris after years in opposition. Dati, a former culture minister, ran a high-profile campaign but remained a polarizing figure. Her candidacy drew particular scrutiny among Armenians and their allies due to longstanding and well-documented ties to Azerbaijani authorities and the Aliyev family.

Azerbaijani state-linked sources have previously highlighted her meetings with President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, including visits to Baku, while French media have reported on controversies surrounding those relationships. In 2025, Dati also lost a defamation case tied to claims about her links to Azerbaijan, with a French court ruling that such characterizations fell within the bounds of legitimate political debate.

Her campaign was further complicated by legal challenges and a divisive political profile, factors that appear to have weighed on voters in a city that has consistently leaned left in recent decades.

Grégoire succeeds Anne Hidalgo, who served as mayor since 2014 and was widely regarded as a close friend of the Armenian community. Under her leadership, Paris maintained strong symbolic and political support for Armenian causes, including recognition initiatives, commemorations, and public advocacy on issues related to Armenia and Artsakh.

Municipal election results across France showed a broader pattern of resilience for mainstream parties, with Socialists and their allies holding major cities such as Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Lille. While both far-right and far-left forces made gains in certain municipalities, the overall outcome reinforced the continued dominance of established political blocs in key urban centres.

Grégoire now takes office at a politically sensitive moment, as France looks ahead to future national elections, with Paris expected to remain both a symbolic and practical stronghold for the country’s left.