PARIS, March 16 -- Candidates of French President Emmanuel Macron's The Republic on the Move (LERM) party failed in Sunday's first-round municipal election, clouding the president's plan to build a local power base for his party ahead of the 2022 presidential race.
According to exit polls, the LERM failed to uproot the bastions long-held by socialists and conservatives in the largest French cities.
Paris remains in the hands of the Socialist Party after its candidate Anne Hidalgo led with 30.2 percent of the votes, eight points ahead of her conservative rival Rachida Dati's 22 percent. Former Health Minister Agnes Buzyn who defended the LREM banner came in third with 17 percent.
In Marseille, France's second main city, the right-wing The Republicans party failed to secure a fifth mandate after its candidate came in second behind the Socialist contender.
Pollsters' estimate showed candidate from the European Ecologists and the Greens (EELV) Gregory Doucet was placed first in Lyon, France's third main city, where he collected 29 percent of the vote, a 12-point lead over his conservative rival.
The EELV saw a surge in support in Bordeaux, a right-wing stronghold, Grenoble, Besancon and Strasbourg, suggesting a growing "green wave" is likely to sweep Europe's second largest power.
Facing his first domestic mid-term vote challenge, Macron had bet on his anti-establishment party -- which he created in 2016 -- to win control of major cities to anchor power at local level, and offset losses in the rural zone where he faces fierce criticism of "being out of touch" with and "doing little to the working class."
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe finished first in the port city of Le Havre, winning 43.6 percent of the vote and consolidating his chance to win the runoff. Culture Minister Franck Riester and Budget Minster Gerald Darmanin were re-elected with outright majority.
Voter participation is crucial and one of the deciding factors for candidates as they need to secure more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a second-round ballot. For those who cannot pocket 50 percent of the vote, they need to obtain 10 percent in the first round of vote to head to the runoff.
Voter turnout in the first round of municipal election was 38.77 percent at 5 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), sharply down from 54.54 percent at the same time six years ago, according to figures released by the Interior Ministry.
The abstention rate was estimated at a record 56 percent compared to 33.4 percent in first round of the 2017 municipal election, as French voters, who traditionally tend to show less interest in polls, had further shunned elections on growing concerns of coronavirus spread.
As of Sunday, 5,423 cases of coronavirus infection were reported, up from 4,500 in one day, while 127 patients died from infection, up from 91 deaths registered on Saturday, the French Public Health announced.
The election runoff is scheduled for March 22. But many politicians called on the government to postpone the ballot due to the worsening health crisis.
"The abstention rate reflects the growing concern of our fellow citizens. It is by taking into account the opinion of the health authorities that we will organize the second round," Philippe said.
"I will consult the scientific committee and then the political forces. We will take necessary measures with complete transparency," he added.