France, March 16 -- In the vast majority of France's 34,000 villages, towns and cities that went to the polls Sunday, the mayor was expected to be elected in the first round, but races in many larger cities will go to a second round next Sunday, 22 March, and parties are looking to form alliances. Socialist in the lead in Paris

According to official results, in Paris the Socialist candidate Emmanuel Gregoire won 37.98 percent of the vote, ahead of the conservative candidate Rachida Dati, 25.46 percent.

Dati, the former culture minister, is hoping to shift the balance of power in the French capital, which has been run by the left for the past 25 years.

The hard left France Unbowed (LFI) candidate, Sophia Chikirou, was neck and neck...