The announced clash between Rachida Dati and Anne Hidaldo is Paris guaranteed a seat in the next municipal elections in 2026? Nothing is less certain. While the mayor of the capital’s 7th arrondissement and mayor Anne Hidalgo stage their duel in the media, particularly at Paris Council meetings, another personality could enter the battle for City Hall. According to an Ipsos survey for Le Parisien published on Sunday, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal would make a good mayor of Paris for 42% of constituents. This puts him just ahead of his former government colleague Rachida Dati, estimated at 39%. This local match-up, which seems to be taking shape within the national “common ground” – between the right and the presidential camp – crushes Anne Hidalgo (28%) by around ten points. And even any other competition.

While the Socialist politician is still hesitating about running for re-election in a few months’ time, her two potential rivals have the advantage of arousing less rejection than she does among the people concerned: 63% for Anne Hidalgo versus 50% for Rachida Dati, and 47% for Rachida Dati. Gabriel Attal. A sign of his political strength in Paris, the deputy for Hauts-de-Seine and chairman of the Ensemble pour la République (EPR) group in the National Assembly appealed to both his own camp (72%) and right-wing voters (46%). Where the Minister of Culture is struggling to broaden her base on the left (22%), Élisabeth Borne’s successor at Matignon is capturing a larger proportion of supporters (30%) of the outgoing majority in Paris.

Hidalgo’s record judged negatively

Another important point: ten months after her arrival in government, Rachida Dati is less appreciated in her former political family, Les Républicains (58%), than in the Renaissance presidential party (61%). Enough to win the mayoralty? Everything will depend on Gabriel Attal’s choice. Will he set aside his presidential ambitions in 2027 to focus on Paris? If so, the former Keeper of the Seals has a lot to worry about. In the opposite hypothesis, she remains best placed to face Anne Hidalgo, whose record is judged negatively by 54% of those polled.