Overview
- Jean‑Michel Aulas remains the polling front‑runner, running with Véronique Sarselli and backed by Renaissance, with one January survey giving him 47% to Grégory Doucet’s 25% in the first round.
- Three Doucet allies—Sandrine Runel, Laurent Bosetti and Olivier Berzane—published a hard‑hitting tribune calling Aulas’s program riddled with inaccuracies and warning it could force tax hikes or the loss of over 2,000 public‑sector jobs.
- The critique targets an 8 km “mega tunnel” and a new metro line that opponents cite at roughly €4 billion and €6 billion, noting the route would also serve the LDLC Arena owned by Aulas’s son.
- Operating‑cost promises flagged by critics include free TCL for Lyon residents estimated at €47 million annually, free school meals and perischool care at €30 million, security measures at €9 million and other items above €24 million.
- Campaign messaging has expanded to event hosting, with Aulas claiming the Tour de France director’s agreement to pursue a Lyon stage and a 2028 Grand Départ, while Doucet says he has formally filed for the 2028 Tour de France Femmes and also seeks the 2028 Women’s Champions League final and ice‑hockey worlds; the first municipal round is March 15, followed by March 22.