At 76, former Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas has entered the race for Lyon mayor, uniting local right and center. His notable debut occurred on September 3 during the city's Liberation commemoration. Guided by a former protocol official, he positioned himself at the front row uninvited.
Jean-Michel Aulas, former entrepreneur and popular figure in Lyonnais football, surprised at 76 by entering the race for Lyon mayor, France's third-largest city. An offensive candidate, he has united the local right and center, adopting a combative stance reminiscent of a passionate supporter.
The notable incident occurred on September 3, during the commemoration of Lyon's Liberation, at Place Bellecour. Dressed in a navy blue suit and tie with a white pocket square, Aulas pushed through the crowd to the front row of officials, guided by Isabelle Sabran. The latter, former head of protocol at city hall, served four successive mayors over thirty years and organized visits by world leaders to the capital of the Gauls. Having joined Aulas's camp after clashing with the ecologist majority elected in 2020, she accompanied him in this intrusion.
Positioned in front of the Veilleur de pierre monument, dedicated to WWII resistance fighters, Aulas listened attentively to speeches by prefect Fabienne Buccio and mayor Grégory Doucet, hands crossed and with a serious demeanor. 'His arrival caused discomfort. He was not at all planned in the republican protocol. He imposed himself. But we did not want to create an incident during this moment of remembrance,' said Gautier Chapuis, co-president of the ecologist group at the municipal council.
This break-in entry symbolizes Aulas's bold approach to the political arena, where he relies on his charisma to challenge the incumbent team.