Sarah Knafo has entered the Paris mayoral race as the second far-right candidate, joining Thierry Mariani of the Rassemblement National, with a slate of opponents spanning LR’s Rachida Dati, Renaissance/Horizons’ Pierre-Yves Bournazel, Emmanuel Grégoire of the Socialist camp, and La France insoumise’s Sophia Chikirou.

Knafo aims to win Paris and present Reconquête as a new force, positioning herself against the main contenders including the Socialist incumbent challenger Emmanuel Grégoire and other established camps.

If elected, Knafo promises to strengthen local democracy by instituting at least two referendums per year.

At 32, Knafo has kept a relatively low local profile but is promoting a radical sovereign and economic program designed to capitalize on media attention from the mayoral race.

This campaign marks Knafo’s first frontline bid in an election, following years of signaling political ambitions.

Observers note that the Paris race is high-stakes for Knafo and Reconquête, framed in terms of ongoing effort and performance akin to scoring in football.

Her platform centers on significant tax relief and budget cuts, including a plan to save nearly 10 billion euros and halve property taxes for Parisians.

Knafo pledges to devote herself to Paris with an unprecedented program to reduce municipal spending and lower local taxes.

Analysts view the Paris race as a potential stepping stone for Knafo’s national ambitions and a lever to influence LR primaries and the broader right in 2027.

The candidacy follows weeks of anticipation and rumors about government censure affecting the race; she now believes the path is clear to raise her profile with Parisians.

There is a potential risk that both Knafo and Mariani may fail to exceed the 10% threshold required for automatic entry into the Paris City Council, impacting their influence.

Knafo rules out running for the 2027 presidential election, hoping Reconquête will nominate another candidate for that race instead.