Jean-Michel Aulas in the city hall, and Véronique Sarselli in the metropolis? The former boss of Olympique Lyonnais and mayor of Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon (Rhône) announced this Tuesday that they have signed an alliance for the elections next March. The two candidates gathered this Tuesday, November 25 at the inauguration of the Jean-Michel Aulas campaign building in the 3rd arrondissement of the city.
In the capital of Gaul in March 2026, voters will elect the central city hall (municipal elections) and the metropolitan city (metropolitan elections). If the Republican Party decides to support Jean-Michel Aulas in the municipal elections, no agreement has been reached at the metropolitan level until then.
If she wins in March, Véronique Sarselli will become president of Greater Lyon, France’s second-largest metropolis with 1.4 million inhabitants, and “she accepts that I sit next to her in the metropolitan executive,” said the former Olympique Lyonnais president.
“Metropolitan cities are part of our ambitions”
“I am grateful to have formed this union with the mayors on the front line,” continued Véronique Sarselli, appointed in the spring by her party to lead the campaign for Greater Lyon, the only urban community in France whose assembly is elected by direct universal suffrage.
“The metropolis is part of our ambitions,” said the former OL president at the beginning of the month, who this Tuesday will present a list of 14 “Grand Cœur Lyonnais” movements in metropolitan districts, which have been approved by both parties.
🔴 Municipal elections 2026 in Lyon
“Metropolis is part of our ambition”@JM_Aulas would launch the “Grand Coeur Lyonnais” movement to influence the elections in the Metropolis, no agreement was reached with LR @V_Sarselli at this stage pic.twitter.com/e2OUOcy6bY
— actu Lyon (@actufr_lyon) November 5, 2025
There is no agreement with the RN as a prerequisite
In mid-November, 30 mayors in the Lyon metropolitan area, which has 58 municipalities besides Lyon, called for the formation of a Sarselli-Aulas “tandem” for elections next March.
This issue is very important for Jean-Michel Aulas: some of the proposals he presented since the beginning of the campaign, such as free public transport, fall within the remit of metropolitan municipalities. Therefore, a presence on this scale is essential for anyone who wants to become Mayor of Lyon.
According to the terms of the agreement revealed by the local press, if the alliance wins, Véronique Sarselli will become president of the metropolis and Jean-Michel Aulas one of its vice presidents. Although the details are not yet fully known, a commitment has been made: not to enter into any alliance with the National Rally.
This agreement is based on the principle of “democratic clarity”, explained Jean-Michel Aulas at the inauguration of their campaign location: “there will be no alliances either directly or indirectly with extreme groups, neither in the first nor in the second round”.
The last poll conducted by OpinionWay in October for the 2026 metropolitan elections put Véronique Sarselli well ahead of the polls if the elections were held next Sunday, with 36% intending to vote. Followed by environmental activist president Bruno Bernard (27%) and RN Andréa Kotarac (20%). At the foot of the podium, the rebel Idir Boumertit received 15% of the vote.
