Tensions Rise in Lyon Over 2026 Metropolitan Budget Amid Ecological Policy Debate

In Lyon, significant tensions have emerged around the approval of the 2026 metropolitan budget, as opposition figures led by Jean-Michel Aulas challenge the ecological-left majority's fiscal and environmental policies. Aulas, former Olympique Lyonnais president, alongside ally Véronique Sarselli, has called for an independent audit of the metropolitan finances and a legality review of the budget recently approved by the ecological coalition. They criticize the budget as 'insincere' and raise concerns over the metropolitan area's increasing operational spending—up 15% since 2019—paired with diminishing fiscal flexibility despite a projected 3.4% rise in revenues to nearly €2.9 billion. The opposition particularly targets the overestimation of transfer taxes (DMTO), emphasizing these revenues' volatility.

The 2026 budget earmarks €1 billion for investment, including €650 million focused on priority projects such as housing and sustainable mobility. Bruno Bernard, defending the plan, highlights the jobs created and the financial stability it ensures. However, Aulas's camp questions the ecological majority's effectiveness since 2020, expecting minimal positive outcomes from their environmental measures.

With municipal elections on the horizon, this budget dispute accentuates the broader debate over Lyon's economic attractiveness and strategic direction. The opposition has united under the Grand Cœur lyonnais banner, intensifying the political showdown. These developments underscore the mounting fiscal and ideological friction shaping Lyon's near-term governance and policy agendas.