Lyon's Green mayor, Grégory Doucet, will debate his main rival, Jean-Michel Aulas, on Tuesday evening, three weeks before the first round of municipal elections. This confrontation, broadcast on BFMTV, comes in the midst of a campaign overshadowed by the death of far-right activist Quentin Deranque.
Backed by the right and center-right, the former president of Olympique Lyonnais is the favorite in a recent poll, with 43% of the vote in the first round. Aged 76 and a political novice, he will participate in his first televised campaign debate. Grégory Doucet, trailing in the opinion polls, had called for this confrontation.
A campaign disrupted by the death of Quentin Deranque
The fatal attack on Quentin Deranque, for which seven people have been charged, continues to cast a long shadow over the campaign, particularly on the left. The alleged close ties between some of those implicated and figures associated with La France Insoumise are fueling local and national political debates.
In addition to security issues, candidates will have to defend their plans for the city, particularly regarding transportation and housing. The debate is taking place ahead of the first round of voting scheduled for March 15th and the second for March 22nd.
