Municipal election reform in Paris, Lyon and Marseille: the Senate overwhelmingly opposes it

The municipal election reform for Paris, Lyon and Marseille was overwhelmingly rejected in the Senate on Tuesday, a major setback for its supporters , primarily Prime Minister François Bayrou, who was under pressure from his LR allies in the government who were demanding that the text be abandoned.

Also read : What the reform of the voting system would change in Lyon

The right is hostile to it, the vast majority of the left too, and even the central bloc has acknowledged certain shortcomings: the flagship article of the Macronist-origin bill suffered a disastrous fate in the hemicycle of the upper house of Parliament, with only 97 votes for its adoption compared to 217 opposition.

Adopted by the National Assembly at the beginning of April, with the support of the executive, La France Insoumise and the National Rally, the reform would put an end to the voting method introduced in 1982 in the PLM law, under which voters in Paris, Lyon and Marseille vote in each district for a list of councillors, with the elected representatives at the top of the list sitting on the district council and the municipal council.

In the version approved by the deputies, it instead planned to establish two ballots, one to elect district or sector councilors, the other to elect those of the municipal council, in a single constituency. The aim was to make the ballot " more transparent ," bring voters closer to choosing their mayor, and ensure that " one voter equals one vote ."

This unequivocal rejection by the upper house at first reading complicates the task of the bill's supporters, led by Paris MP Sylvain Maillard and supported by François Bayrou. Will the Prime Minister convene a joint committee (CMP), a meeting of seven senators and seven MPs tasked with negotiating to arrive at a joint text?

Parliamentary Relations Minister Patrick Mignola declined to confirm this on Tuesday, saying it was a " collective decision ." However, he did open the door, stating that " the word of each of the assemblies must be respected ," refusing to give " preeminence " to the Senate. In recent hours, several members of the government camp had assured AFP that a joint committee was indeed being considered for this text even if the Senate rejected it.

But there's no guarantee that an agreement will emerge, which could lead the executive to decide to bypass the Senate by giving the final say to the National Assembly. A high-risk operation, because it would then be necessary to accept a vote on a text with the National Rally and the French National Front (LFI)... and against the valuable allies of the right.

On Tuesday, not a single vote was missing from the LR group to oppose the text criticized by the new party president Bruno Retailleau and by the head of the Upper House, Gérard Larcher.

The right went even further by putting pressure on the government: " With our vote, we are sending a clear signal. The withdrawal of this reform is essential ," declared LR group vice-president Laurent Somon, who subsequently assured AFP that the right would be "inflexible " in its position in the event of a joint committee.