French municipal elections, 1983

Municipal elections were held in France on 6 and 13 March 1983. President Francois Mitterrand and leader of the Socialist Party held power since May 1981.

The left-wing coalition of the Socialists and Communists, in power since only two years, was defeated in the 1983 locals by the RPR-UDF right-wing opposition. The Communists lost Saint-Étienne and Reims, while the PS lost Tourcoing, Grenoble, and Roubaix. They narrowly held Marseille (with Gaston Defferre) against Jean-Claude Gaudin (UDF). In Paris, RPR Leader Jacques Chirac was easily re-elected, sweeping all arrondissements.

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