Rachida Dati, who has served as a minister under both Nicolas Sarkozy and Emmanuel Macron, is hoping to end 25 years of left-wing rule in the French capital. But she will have to overcome an unexpectedly large deficit against Social Democrat Emmanuel Grégoire in Sunday's decisive election round.
Several uncertain decisions await across the country, with the electorate pulling in different directions.
With just over a year left until the next presidential election, this year's local elections have been seen as an important gauge of which movement has the upper hand.
However, the results from last weekend's first round mostly point to upheaval, with divided support for both the left and the right, the center and the fringes.
