Abstract
The first round of the 2020 Municipal election in Montpellier (France) was characterized by the splitting of the electoral offer and the success of several independent candidacies. The present article makes the study of four lists of candidates that exemplify the recent multiplication of extra-partisan initiatives within French politics: The lists led by Mohed Altrad, Alenka Doulain, Rémi Gaillard, and Clothilde Ollier, respectively, gathered more than a third of valid votes at the first round of the election and decided to merge in order to propose (unsuccessfully) a common offer at the second round. First, we carry out the sociological analysis of the composition of these four lists. Second, we address the question of the electoral mobilization in their favor. We cross several empirical materials, including census and election data, and information concerning all the 65 candidates from each of these four lists. Our study sheds light on the social dynamics that explain the success they encountered at the first round of the election. However, our results emphasize the multiple contrasts among these initiatives, providing insights about their unsuccessful union.