Three months before the municipal elections, there seems to be no suspense in Béziers. An exclusive Ifop poll conducted for Entrevue magazine, from December 15 to 19, 2025, paints an unequivocal picture: Robert Ménard is now in a situation of near-plebiscite, with voting intentions fluctuating between 60% and 67% from the first round, regardless of the configurations tested.
In the worst-case scenario for the incumbent mayor, with a complete left-wing alliance and the presence of an official National Rally list, Robert Ménard already garners 60% of the votes cast. The left is capped at 18%, while the National Rally candidate does not exceed 12%. This dramatic gap relegates all his competitors to a secondary role and transforms the upcoming campaign into a mere electoral formality.
When the left fragments, particularly with an independent LFI list, the incumbent mayor's dominance remains intact. Robert Ménard then gains ground, reaching 61%, while La France Insoumise falls to 8% and the traditional left declines to 12%. The same scenario plays out in the absence of an RN list: the incumbent mayor reaches 67%, leaving the united left at 18% and a miscellaneous list at 13%. In all these scenarios, the outcome of the election appears predetermined.
The sociological findings of the survey confirm this hegemony. Robert Ménard dominates all age groups, with particular strength among those aged 35 and over, where he far exceeds 70%. He also crushes the competition in higher socio-professional categories, peaking at over 80% among managers and the self-employed, while remaining a majority among the working class and retirees. His support is massive among voters of Marine Le Pen and Éric Zemmour in the 2022 presidential election, but also extends widely to former voters ofEmmanuel Macron, a sign of a connection that extends well beyond traditional partisan divides.
This poll primarily highlights a central political fact: Robert Ménard has built an independent local majority in Béziers, based on a visible record of municipal achievements, assertive authority, and a clear political line. The presence of a National Rally candidate in no way weakens this dynamic; quite the contrary. A significant portion of the nationalist electorate seems to prioritize local effectiveness, outspokenness, and independence over party discipline, thereby delivering a clear rebuke to the party's national leadership.
Finally, these results confirm that the mayor of Béziers is no longer just a firmly established figure, but a unique political personality, capable of uniting a broad coalition without a national affiliation. In Béziers, the 2026 municipal campaign is shaping up less as a competition than as a popular validation of a local power already largely legitimized by the ballot box.
