the environmentalist mayor Grégory Doucet prepared for an alliance within the second spherical with LFI | EUROtoday

A number of weeks earlier than the municipal elections, the environmentalist mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet stated, Tuesday February 24, that he was able to ally himself with La France insoumise (LFI) within the second spherical, throughout a televised debate together with his rivals, partly swallowed up by the demise of radical far-right activist Quentin Deranque.

This “drama shook us all”instantly affirmed the outgoing mayor who was debating for the primary time in public with the large favourite within the polls, the previous boss of Olympique Lyonnais (OL) Jean-Michel Aulas, supported by the correct and the middle proper, but additionally with the candidate of the Union of Rights for the Republic (UDR) Alexandre Dupalais, allied to the National Rally (RN), and the rebellious Anaïs Belouassa Cherifi.

Asked about the opportunity of forming an alliance with the latter, the outgoing mayor responded clearly for the primary time ” Yes “, “but under certain conditions”particularly that nobody in his staff is “involved in violence”. As for a merger of the lists if the MP managed to achieve the ten% mark to take care of her place, Grégory Doucet didn’t rule it out: “on the evening of the first round, the Lyonnais will have sent us a message” And “our responsibility” will likely be to listen to them.

Since the demise of Quentin Deranque, overwhelmed to demise in Lyon on February 12, and the indictment of suspects linked to an LFI deputy, the far proper, the correct, the middle proper and even a fringe of the socialist left have been demanding a complete break with LFI. Until then, the outgoing mayor, who will want all of the votes from the left if he desires to win a second time period, had refused to talk out.

Anaïs Belouassa Cherifi additionally left the door open to this alliance. “Please know that my priority is that Mr. Aulas does not become the next mayor of the city of Lyon. I will do everything in my power to ensure that is not the case. »

“Empty shell”

Less than three weeks earlier than the municipal elections, the enterprise chief, who stays very fashionable in Lyon as a result of his 36 years on the head of his soccer membership, is greater than ten factors forward within the first spherical and is clearly the winner within the second, in all of the polls. At 76 years outdated, this political novice was the one who had probably the most to lose on this debate, and he particularly tried to current himself as “civil society candidate”free of partisan quarrels.

On a number of events his opponents mistreated him, accusing him of being “off the mark” (Grégory Doucet), or a “empty shell” (Anaïs Belouassa Cherifi). “Apart from large unfunded expenses, no one has understood your political line”launched Alexandre Dupalais once more.

But the latter additionally has “flown to his aid”because the rebellious MP identified, answering for him questions calling into query his document as president of OL within the battle in opposition to extremist and violent supporters. Some have been current on Saturday within the march for Quentin Deranque, which introduced collectively 3,200 individuals in Lyon, together with many identification or nationalist activists and which was marred by Nazi salutes.

Young guard

The younger man’s funeral occurred on Tuesday after a mass within the strictest privateness in a church within the metropolis. The rebellious candidate, for her half, was bombarded with questions on her hyperlinks with “The Young Guard” antifascist, a bunch based in 2018 in Lyon by LFI deputy Raphaël Arnault and dissolved in June 2025, to which a few of the suspects within the violence in opposition to Quentin Deranque belonged.

“No one should die for their ideas, I condemn all violence but I remain an anti-fascist activist”she insisted. The authorities introduced on Tuesday that it had taken authorized motion relating to a attainable “reenactment” of the Young Guard. And Emmanuel Macron requested Beauvau to launch dissolution procedures in opposition to 5 of his “emanations” native.

The president additionally urged the federal government to make sure that the municipal marketing campaign “is proceeding peacefully”after “twenty-two parliamentary offices of LFI have been degraded” in round ten days, assured a participant in a gathering on violent teams on the Elysée.