Introduction to the special issue does local context matter? The re-localization of politics during municipal elections in three French cities
Résumé
A comparison of the results of municipal elections in 2020 and the results of the most recent presidential and legislative elections in 2017 (results confirmed in 2022) has revealed a growing disconnection between the local and national political scenes. The aim of this special issue is to contribute to the understanding of this phenomenon by drawing on the achievements of electoral socio-geography, which is experiencing a certain revival in France. In addition to analyses focused on the political offer, in particular partisan strategies, this introduction argues in favor of taking greater account of certain urban and socio-demographic dynamics, in order to understand this disconnection. After presenting the revival of the ecological approach to political behavior in France, this article puts into perspective studies on gentrification, urban decline and territorial inequalities and their effects on electoral choices and participation, and more generally on the relocalization of municipal campaigns.