During his press conference on Tuesday, January 16, the President of the Republic pleaded for the mayors of Paris, Lyon, and Marseille to be directly elected by universal suffrage. He called for a reform of the law in this direction.
The statement may seem insignificant. But it could change the game for millions of voters. Those living in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. By coming to the aid of Rachida Dati (the brand new Minister of Culture), he explained, “we did not talk about Paris.” But he took the opportunity to mention municipal elections through a reform of the “Paris-Lyon-Marseille” law.
“The only thing I want for Paris is that a voter can have the same rights and count as much in Paris as in Amiens, Besançon or elsewhere.” – Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic
What the President wants is “that the government and parliament can decide on a deep reform of the Paris-Lyon-Marseille law to return to common law.”
And returning to “common law” means electing the mayors of these three cities by direct universal suffrage. Under the PLM law of December 31, 1982, municipal elections in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille take place by districts or sectors, and not at the city level.
It is then the municipal councilors, elected in each sector, who elect the mayor during the first municipal council at the central town hall. A voting system that can sometimes be unfair. It is possible to become mayor of one of these three cities by winning strategic sectors while being a minority in votes.
