Municipal Election Results From Across France: News Digest

France has confirmed the opening date for the 2026 income-tax declaration campaign, preparations are continuing for the rollout of the EU’s Entry/Exit System at French borders, and municipal elections are heading to a second round in major cities including Paris and Marseille. Here are the headlines from France this week.

Income tax declaration calendar

France’s 2026 income-tax declaration campaign for 2025 income will open on the 9th of April. The 2026 tax simulator went online on the 10th of March, allowing people resident in France to estimate both their income tax and their revenu fiscal de référence ahead of the filing period. The simulator is available in both simplified and full versions, while the full declaration campaign and the detailed filing deadlines are still to follow.

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Entry/Exit System rollout

The EU’s Entry/Exit System remains on track for its next rollout stage, with all eligible travellers crossing French external Schengen borders due to be checked from the 30th of March and the system due to be fully operational from the 10th of April. The system records passport data, fingerprints, facial images, and the date and place of entry and exit for non-EU nationals travelling for short stays. French frontier checks carried out on UK soil, including Dover, St Pancras and Folkestone, are part of the same rollout.

Municipal elections

France held the first round of its municipal elections on the 15th of March, with the second round scheduled for the 22nd of March in communes where no list won outright. Voting took place in about 35,000 villages, towns and cities. In smaller communes, most contests were settled immediately, but many large cities remained open after the first round, including Paris and Marseille. Turnout was reported at about 57%, higher than in 2020 but lower than in 2014.

The elections determine the composition of the municipal council, which then elects the mayor. Communes in France oversee a wide range of local responsibilities, including nursery and primary schools, parts of social housing management, individual building permits, aspects of urban planning, municipal police, local cultural and sports funding, and elements of the local environment and heritage. They also draw revenue from local taxation, including taxe foncière, taxe d’habitation on second homes, and waste-related charges such as TEOM. In areas classed as zones tendues, any surcharge on second-home taxe d’habitation applies after a decision of the municipal council.

Fuel prices

TotalEnergies announced a temporary cap on pump prices at its mainland France service stations. The measure set petrol at €1.99 per litre and diesel at €2.09 per litre, taking effect from the 13th of March until the end of the month, with the company saying it would reassess the situation in early April. The announcement came amid sharp volatility in global oil markets.

Michelin Guide France & Monaco 2026

The Michelin Guide France & Monaco 2026 has been unveiled. This year’s selection brought one new three-star restaurant, seven new two-star restaurants, and 54 new one-star restaurants. Michelin said the France & Monaco guide now includes 31 three-star restaurants and 668 starred restaurants in total.

The only new French restaurant to receive a third star this year was Les Morainières in Jongieux, Savoie. Michelin also confirmed earlier in the cycle that the 2026 Bib Gourmand selection added 75 new restaurants, taking that list to 430.

Lead photo credit : Shutterstock