The 2026 municipal elections in Lyon have delivered a complex and potentially challenging outcome for the city’s political landscape. While the scenes of jubilation at Grégory Doucet’s headquarters marked a victory for the ecologists, securing the mayoralty of France’s third-largest city by a mere 2,500 votes, this triumph is widely considered a Pyrrhic one. The celebrations have largely eclipsed a far more impactful defeat: the loss of the Métropole de Lyon to a right-wing coalition led by Véronique Sarselli, the mayor (LR) of Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon and an ally of Jean-Michel Aulas.
The Critical Loss of the Métropole
The Métropole de Lyon, an integrated metropolitan authority, holds significantly more power and a budget four times larger than the City of Lyon itself. It is responsible for crucial policy areas, including urban planning (PLU), transport, social housing, infrastructure development, and economic policies. The City of Lyon, in contrast, manages primary schools, local urban planning (building permits), and local community life. This distribution of power means that the Métropole’s governance will have a more profound and structural impact on the daily lives of residents in the greater Lyon area.
For the first time, the City of Lyon and the Métropole will be governed by different political majorities, a situation that Samuel Soulier, the new mayor of the 6th arrondissement and a supporter of Jean-Michel Aulas, describes as “unprecedented and quite disruptive for the good progress of certain projects in our city.” He questions whether the City of Lyon will be “under embargo” due to the Métropole’s extensive powers.
A Missed Opportunity for the Left?
The outcome in the Métropole could have been different. An alliance between the left-wing lists of Bruno Bernard (Ecologists), supported by the Socialist Party and the Communist Party, and Florestan Groult (LFI) in the second round might have prevented the right from gaining a majority. Despite LFI unilaterally withdrawing its candidate from the Lyon Ouest metropolitan constituency to give the left-wing union a better chance, the broader left suffered significant losses.
Beyond Lyon Ouest, the left also lost the constituencies of Vaulx-en-Velin (Rhône Amont) and Vénissieux (Portes du Sud), both of which they had won in 2020. More surprisingly, they also lost in Lyon Est (3rd arrondissement), despite Benjamin Badouard’s (Ecologists) list having a lead of over 1,000 votes in the first round. The right and center list, led by Hélène Baronnier, gained 4,000 votes between the two rounds (47.06%) to narrowly defeat the left-wing list (44.36%), while the LFI list, led by Albert Lévy, lost 500 votes but still secured 8.58%.
The right and center, united under Véronique Sarselli (LR), now hold a substantial majority in the Métropole de Lyon, with 92 out of 150 seats. The left holds 53 seats (49 for Bruno Bernard’s list, 3 for LFI, and 1 for Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert’s diverse left list), and the National Rally holds 5 seats. Analysts suggest that mergers of lists in Rhône Amont (11 seats), Portes du Sud (11 seats), and Lyon Est (7 seats) would very likely have allowed the left to win, or at least prevented the right and center from achieving such a clear majority.
Jean-Michel Aulas in the Wings
Véronique Sarselli has announced her intention to propose Jean-Michel Aulas, the former president of Olympique Lyonnais, as her “first vice-president” for the Métropole. Aulas, who was defeated by Grégory Doucet in the mayoral race, confirmed his intention to sit in opposition in Lyon and fully embrace his role in the Métropole. The new majority governing the Grand Lyon is broad (92 out of 150 councillors) but also diverse, encompassing LR elected officials, Macronists (Renaissance, Horizons, and MoDem), and “civil society” figures who supported Aulas.
Nicolas Zaugra, editor-in-chief of actu Lyon, has even hinted at potential competition between Jean-Michel Aulas and Véronique Sarselli for the presidency of the Métropole. “Rumors from right-wing elected officials, disputed by the Aulas camp, suggest that Jean-Michel Aulas wants to ‘unplug’ Véronique Sarselli. Several LR elected officials assure that the party is firmly behind Sarselli for the presidency of the Métropole. To be continued…” the journalist wrote on X. The Métropole de Lyon will formally elect its president during a “third round” between Friday, March 27, and Sunday, March 29.
A New Era of Cohabitation?
The cohabitation between a left-wing city council and a right-wing metropolitan council marks a new chapter for Lyon. This dynamic could lead to friction and challenges in implementing policies and projects that require coordination between the two bodies. The ability of both administrations to work constructively despite their political differences will be crucial for the continued development and well-being of the city and its wider metropolitan area.
The ecologists’ victory in the city, while symbolically important, may be overshadowed by the practical implications of their defeat in the Métropole. This outcome underscores the increasing significance of metropolitan authorities in French governance and highlights the strategic importance of securing majorities at both city and metropolitan levels.
