GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
Rachida Dati, lors de la présentation de son programme le 10 février 2026.
Rachida Dati is now free to fully focus on her campaign for Paris mayor after being relieved of her duties as Culture minister. The move comes as Dati faces a series of challenges, but recent polling suggests she remains a strong contender in the upcoming election.
Dati’s tenure at the Culture Ministry was marked by difficulties, including a burglary at the Louvre Museum while under her oversight, legal issues, and what has been described as limited success with cultural projects. Despite these setbacks, she has gained momentum in the race for City Hall.
Recent activity on Dati’s social media accounts portrays a confident and engaged candidate, consistently appearing with supporters and actively promoting her platform. She has also been critical of her socialist opponent, Emmanuel Grégoire, whom she identifies as her “only adversary.”
According to a February 22nd Ifop poll for L’Opinion and Sud Radio, Dati is currently in second place behind Grégoire ahead of the March 15th first round. However, the poll indicates she is favored to win in a runoff election in three out of four scenarios: a head-to-head contest with Grégoire (53%), a close race in a three-way contest with Horizons party candidate Pierre-Yves Bournazel (43%), and also in a four-way contest with Sophia Chikirou and Grégoire.
Louvre, Investigations, and Scrutiny: A Challenging Few Months
The positive polling numbers come after a difficult period last fall.
The Louvre burglary in October and subsequent employee strikes highlighted issues with the museum’s security and Dati’s management, ultimately leading to a change in the museum’s leadership. In mid-December 2025, police conducted searches at her home, the Culture Ministry, and the town hall of the 7th arrondissement as part of an investigation into alleged payments from GDF Suez during her time as a European Parliament member. This case adds to an existing legal challenge: she is facing trial in September 2026 for corruption related to the Carlos Ghosn affair, a case that could force her to resign as mayor if she wins and is convicted.
Early February brought another challenge when she was summoned by a parliamentary inquiry into public broadcasting. The appearance was particularly sensitive given her initial ambition, upon entering the Barnier government, to reform public broadcasting. Two years later, that effort had stalled, with the proposed legislation failing to create it onto the parliamentary calendar after the municipal elections.
More recently, Dati faced questions from a commission created following the Louvre burglary, where she announced the abandonment of a planned “in-depth” reorganization of the museum, intended to address the security vulnerabilities that were exposed.
Philippe’s Support for Dati?
In addition to these ministerial difficulties, Dati’s campaign has been criticized for lacking concrete proposals. Her stated goals of “restoring beauty everywhere,” improving security, and easing rent controls have not resonated strongly with voters. This may be due, in part, to her refusal to debate her opponents. Dati defended her decision on February 26th on BFMTV, arguing she would inevitably be targeted by other candidates.
She has left the door open to a debate in the event of a runoff. That debate will be crucial, as the latest Ifop poll indicates she would lose in only one scenario: a five-way contest with Grégoire, Chikirou, Sarah Knafo, and Bournazel, where Grégoire would win by a narrow margin with 33% of the vote to Dati’s 32%. In a February 28th interview with Le Parisien, Dati warned that any division of votes in the first round would lead to the re-election of the current left-wing administration, and potentially to a worse outcome.
Dati has increasingly targeted Pierre-Yves Bournazel, a former advisor in her ministry, who insists on remaining in the runoff. She criticized him on BFMTV February 26th, stating his candidacy is not about achieving an alternative in Paris, but about either failing or supporting the current left-wing government. She has received support in this effort from Édouard Philippe, who has called for a “broad gathering of the right and center” in the second round.
