Jean-Michel Aulas’ Discreet Campaign End in Lyon Amidst Criticism
Lyon, March 4 – Jean-Michel Aulas, the mayoral candidate for Lyon, is concluding his campaign with a noticeably low profile, shying away from media appearances after receiving criticism for his debate performances. Supported by the right and center-right, the 76-year-old former president of Olympique Lyonnais is making his first foray into politics.
Aulas’s absence from recent media engagements has drawn attention. On Monday, he failed to honor a long-scheduled interview with RCF Lyon radio, prompting editor-in-chief Jean-Baptiste Cocagne to express regret, stating that the incident "bears witness to a 2026 campaign where the fear of overexposure sometimes outweighs the necessary confrontation of ideas."
The following evening, five of Aulas’s rivals participated in a debate organized by local magazines Lyon décideurs and Tribune de Lyon. A telling empty chair, bearing his name, symbolized his absence. By Wednesday morning, BFM Lyon’s "café politique" program was asking, "Where is Jean-Michel Aulas?", noting his disappearance from media since a debate on February 24 hosted by the channel and Le Figaro.
Criticism Over Debate Performances and Lack of Political Acumen
Following the February 24 debate, George Képénékian, former mayor of Lyon and centrist candidate, issued a statement claiming that "the Aulas bubble burst (…) when concrete questions arose," accusing him of remaining "vague." Bruno Bernard, the outgoing ecologist president of the Métropole de Lyon, also took to X (formerly Twitter) to ironically remark that "evidently, some came with many notes to read," implying Aulas struggled to deviate from prepared statements.
Aulas himself expressed his "frustration" on social media the day after his "very first political debate," describing it as an exercise "with its own codes." He emphasized, "I don’t come from the political world," seemingly to justify his perceived lack of assertiveness.
Campaign Strategy: Focus on Fieldwork and Notoriety
His close associates defend his approach, stating, "He is not an orator, a platform speaker, but a man of the field, an entrepreneur with his own grammar that is not that of journalists or politicians." They also explained that his occasional errors, such as misstating the price of the metro on France Inter or crime statistics, are because "he is not a candidate to be deputy for Transport or Security, but to be the mayor of Lyon and carry a vision."
In this final phase of the campaign, Aulas is not withdrawing but rather focusing on "leafleting, door-to-door campaigning, and public meetings," with a major rally planned for next week, according to a close collaborator. Regarding media invitations, this source added that Aulas only accepts "effective" appearances, noting the low viewership of the outlets he has snubbed.
Bruno Bernard pointed out that Aulas and his LR ally for the Métropole, Véronique Sarselli, are also declining debates at the invitation of Lyon associations. For Bernard, "refusing the confrontation of ideas is to despise the voters."
However, Aulas’s inner circle embraces the strategy of "privileging his notoriety" and "outings that reveal his personality, that of an approachable, helpful, non-elitist man."
Strong Public Image and Poll Lead
Indeed, Jean-Michel Aulas enjoys a very positive image in Lyon, a legacy of his 36 years at the helm of OL, which he guided from the second division to seven consecutive French championship titles. This translates into a lead of at least ten points in the first round of all polls over the outgoing ecologist mayor, Grégory Doucet.
To preserve this advantage, he is running a consensual campaign, emphasizing his running mates from civil society, and has abandoned the vengeful tweets he was known for until recently. Instead, he showcases support from football stars like Karim Benzema.
"He is on the ground, he chooses to go to the residents," Véronique Sarselli also told AFP. "He loves Lyon. And with his notoriety, people are happy."
Source: actu.orange.fr
