Villeurbanne, February 7, 2026 – Cédric Van Styvendael, the current mayor of Villeurbanne, officially unveiled his program and the full list of candidates for the upcoming municipal elections, scheduled for March 15 and 22, 2026. This unified front brings together the left and ecological parties under a single banner for the first round.
A Broad Coalition of Eight Political Parties
The alliance, campaigning under the slogan “Engagé.es pour Villeurbanne” (Committed for Villeurbanne), comprises 61 candidates representing eight distinct political parties: the Socialist Party (PS), the French Communist Party (PCF), the Ecologists, L’Après, Place Publique, Debout, Génération-s, and the Radical Party of the Left (PRG). This diverse coalition aims to present a united vision for the future of Villeurbanne.
The list boasts a significant renewal rate of 54% compared to the previous mandate, with an average age of 48 years. It includes both card-carrying activists and individuals from civil society, aiming to “step outside traditional party schemes,” as noted by Pauline Diaz, a 36-year-old newcomer to Villeurbanne and an unaligned candidate on the list.
Diaz, who has lived in the city for only two years and works for an association combating sexist and domestic violence, emphasized her motivation: “I am non-partisan. It’s good to be able to bring some diversity and to step a bit outside of party schemes. I have never been a member of a party because I have multiple sensitivities, and it is more the program and the team that appeal to me and with whom I want to get involved.”
Five Key Pillars of the Program
The program of “Engagé.es pour Villeurbanne” is structured around five major themes:
- Security: Continuing efforts to enhance public safety.
- Education: Investing in the city’s educational infrastructure and resources.
- Solidarity: Strengthening social support systems and community cohesion.
- Health and City Greening: Improving public health services and increasing green spaces.
- Local Democracy and Citizen Participation: Empowering residents through greater involvement in local governance.
Citizen Interpellation and Concrete Measures
A notable proposal within the local democracy chapter is the implementation of a “right of citizen interpellation.” Olivier Gluck, who served as Deputy for Human Resources and Social Dialogue in the previous term and will be on Van Styvendael’s list again, explained the initiative:
“The right of citizen interpellation means allowing citizens, once they are organized, more or less depending on the degree of interpellation, to ask questions, to respond to problems they face in their daily lives, to build solutions together. That’s what’s important. The objective is not just to say that they have the right to interpellate, but how we respond to problems, how we build solutions with them.”
Other concrete measures outlined in the program include:
- Creation of 160 new nursery places across various city districts.
- Reinforcement of the municipal police force, increasing its numbers from 75 to 100 officers.
- Introduction of a “senior card” to support the well-being of older residents in Villeurbanne.
Cédric Van Styvendael further elaborated on the security aspect, stating, “On security, we have achieved results. We haven’t solved the problem, but we have achieved results. So we want to continue with this method. The method consists of ensuring that the city is exemplary in its responsibilities… The number of municipal police officers, the number of cameras, video protection, and also the question of prevention with what we are currently doing in Tonkin with Mildeca to prevent young people from entering drug trafficking. All of this puts us in a position to call on the State for more resources, because that’s what we need in Villeurbanne.”
Future Aspirations: UNESCO Heritage Status for Gratte-Ciel
The mayor also announced plans to consider the inscription of the Gratte-Ciel district on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The iconic Gratte-Ciel, known for its unique architecture, will celebrate its centenary in 2034.
The left and ecologist alliance aims to continue its work in transforming Villeurbanne, focusing on a balance of social, environmental, and democratic progress.
Source: https://www.lyondemain.fr/villeurbanne-municipales-gauche-ecologistes/
