nearly half of the mayors of the Métropole de Lyon did not grant sponsorship
Qualified on the wire, Nathalie Arthaud (576 signatures) and Philippe Poutou (596) had more chances than François Asselineau and Christiane Taubira, who stayed behind with 293 and 274 sponsorships respectively.
Valérie Pécresse, Emmanuel Macron, Anne Hidalgo, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Éric Zemmour, Yannick Jadot, Jean Lassalle, Fabien Roussel, Marine Le Pen and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan are the other qualified.
For some, this race for sponsorships has been frantic. While for elected officials, it was sometimes difficult to justify themselves to their constituents or colleagues from groups or parties.
So the easy solution a few times was not sent at all for sponsorship to the Constitutional Council. A logic particularly respected in the Metropolis of Lyon. Because out of 59 municipalities, 29 mayors simply did not want to get wet. For lack of courage? For lack of a credible candidate in their eyes?
The 29 mayors of the Metropolis of Lyon not named by the Constitutional Council in its final count of March 7:
Yves Chipier: Albigny-sur-Saône
Angelique Enderlin: Cailloux-sur-Fontaine
Véronique Gazan: Champagne-au-mont-d’Or
Jean-Jacques Sellès: Chassieu
Alain Germain: Collonges-au-mont-d’Or
Patrick Veron: Couzon-au-mont-d’Or
Sandrine Chadier: Craponne
Pierre Gouverneyre: Curis-au-mont-d’Or
Rose-France Fournillon: Dardilly
Gerard Berrucaz: Fleurieu-sur-Saône
Virginie Poulain: Fontaines-Saint-Martin
Thierry Pouzol: Fontaines-sur-Saone
Valerie Giraud as Genay
Xavier Odo: Grigny
Blandine Freyer as Irigny
Max Vincent: Limonest
Gilbert Suchet: Montanay
Pascal David: Quincieux
Eric Vergiat: Rochetaillée-sur-Saone
Patrick Guillot: Saint-Cyr-au-mont-d’Or
Christian Duchene: Saint-Fons
Marylene Millet: Saint-Genis-Laval
Didier Cretenet: Saint-Genis-les-Ollières
Beatrice Delorme: Saint-Germain-au-mont-d’Or
Jean-Marie Hombert: Saint-Romain-au-mont-d’Or
Damien Monnier: Sathonay-Camp
Jean-Pierre Calvel: Sathonay-Village
Guy Barral: Solaïsé
Gilles Pillon: La-Tour-de-Salvagny
Other local elected officials also remained silent. Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert had told us behind the scenes of Grand Lyon that she would not give her signature to anyone. At Lyon Métropole, Louis Pelaez, Marc Grivel, Nathalie Frier, Christophe Geourjon, Nicolas Sibeud, Carole Burillon, Alain Galliano, Michel le Faou and Marion Carrier have done the same.
In the Rhône, the mayor of Villefranche-sur-Saône Thomas Ravier also did not send a letter to the Constitutional Council. Same story for Bruno Peylachon (Tarare) and Daniel Valéro (Genas).
Not better on the side of Marie-Pierre Teyssier, mayor of Civrieux-d’Azergues. The latter had however organized a citizen consultation to precisely ask the inhabitants that it should sponsor. Upset by the flop of this vote (65 voters mobilized only), she had given up sending her signature.