Many newly appointed mayors make concrete commitments to Transparency International France as part of the #MaVilleIntègre campaign. In a context where the issues of integrity in public life have been little present in debates and electoral programs, this mobilization marks a first step towards more exemplary local governance.
In a political context where trust in national representatives continues to erode, the mayor remains the most trusted political figure for the French people. According to the CEVIPOF barometer, 60% of them continue to trust the mayor, a valuable asset based on proximity, but which in return requires exemplarity and transparency. However, this foundation remains fragile: the record abstention, 43.8% in the first round and 42.1% in the second, illustrates a reserve and weariness that now affect the local level.
This vigilance of citizens is fully justified: local authorities are not exempt from integrity breaches. On the contrary, according to the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA), more than a third of cases involve local elected officials. This observation reminds us that integrity is a crucial lever to prevent corruption and restore the credibility of institutions to citizens.
The #MaVilleIntègre campaign: a methodology that has already proven itself
In February 2026, the association launched its #MaVilleIntègre campaign and published its report proposing 10 commitments to strengthen local integrity in municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. In 90% of committed municipalities, all commitments have been made. Our interactive map lists the mayors who have mobilized, details their commitments, indicates their political color, and allows the geographical visualization of all concerned municipalities. As with the previous term, the NGO will ensure to evaluate the implementation of the commitments made and will publish the actions implemented by the elected officials.
In 2020, 27 mayors had committed and implemented various measures: a corruption risk prevention plan in Lyon, complete transparency in the rules for awarding subsidies to associations in Cannes, or the publication of elected officials’ meetings with representatives of interest groups in Nantes. These best practices illustrate how commitments are concretely translated into benefits for citizens. In 2026, 27 mayors once again commit with Transparency International France, including 11 already committed in 2020 and 16 new list leaders, proving that the process is sustainable, producing tangible effects, and that a culture of public ethics is gradually emerging.
This stability must demonstrate that integrity is not a one-time initiative but a lever capable of transforming municipal practices and influencing all elected officials towards a more rigorous and responsible governance from the beginning of their mandate. However, this momentum should serve as a model to encourage other municipalities to address integrity issues to build credible governance.
Who has committed with Transparency International France? Political and geographical disparities
The NGO and its team of volunteers have contacted more than 500 lists in more than 130 cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. At the dawn of the first round, more than 120 lists had committed, representing more than 20% of the solicited lists. After mergers, withdrawals, and qualifications for the second round, 80 lists remained committed. At the end of the two polls, 27 elected mayors now have the responsibility to implement these commitments in their municipalities and contribute to the strengthening of local democracy.
The NGO regrets that this mobilization does not involve the entire political spectrum. Indeed, there is a strong left-wing dominance: 63% of committed mayors belong to this political family compared to 18% for right-wing mayors. Extreme right-wing, center, and extreme left-wing lists are almost absent from the committed municipalities. Before the first round, less than 10% of committed lists were from the right, signaling a political alert on the support for integrity issues.
Almost 70% of the 27 committed municipalities have more than 100,000 inhabitants, showing a strong dynamism of large metropolises. Some regions stand out particularly: Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur had over 20 committed lists before the first round, even though it is among the territories most exposed to integrity breaches. In contrast, Corsica and the overseas territories remain largely absent despite some committed lists before the first round, even though these territories present the highest levels of integrity breaches.
Among the commitments proposed by the association, some are unanimously agreed upon, especially that of guaranteeing total transparency in the rules for allocating subsidies to associations (commitment 7 in our report). However, other commitments raise more skepticism. This is the case for commitment 6, which provides for the publication in the form of an open agenda of meetings between elected officials and representatives of interest. This commitment is fulfilled in 77% of cases, compared to an average of 90% for others. In the 2020 municipal mandate, its implementation was only respected in 50% of cases. This reluctance can be explained, in particular, by the fear of negative public reactions or harm to the confidentiality of exchanges.
However, these commitments pursue the same goal: municipalities implement additional mechanisms of transparency and control, both on the allocation of public funds and on interactions between elected officials and external actors, thus preventing conflicts of interest, limiting undue influence, and reinforcing the trust of citizens in local decisions.
A recent study by the Terram Institute emphasizes that the 2026 municipal elections should not be reduced to a simple “test” for the upcoming presidential election but rather constitute a diagnostic of the profound transformations in local politics: between erosion of electoral mobilization as well as a decline in the identification and notoriety of mayors (60% of respondents can cite their name, compared to 74% in 2017) and their political color identification is significantly declining (with a 16-point decrease since 2020, to 47%). This combined reading with the results of the #MaVilleIntègre campaign provides valuable tools to perceive social expectations and positively influence the strategies of municipalities towards a governance close to citizens, attentive to the weak signals of democratic erosion.
Integrity, a major absence from campaign themes, has been overshadowed by subjects such as security or cleanliness. However, as Patrick Lefas, president of Transparency International France, reminds us, “Commitments in terms of security and cleanliness, often highlighted during municipal campaigns, cannot have real impact without a rigorous and effective policy to fight corruption.”
Furthermore, Transparency reminds us that the fight for integrity is above all a transpartisan issue. Ensuring transparency and exemplarity should not depend on a particular political sensitivity: it must be a shared priority because corruption has never and will never be the prerogative of a single side.
