Lyon Mayor Grégory Doucet and his ecologist group faced significant backlash last week after abstaining from a vote at the Lyon Metropolis concerning a €10 million subsidy package. The funds were intended for merchants who suffered damages during the riots that occurred on October 17. The Grand Cœur lyonnais, the majority coalition of right-wing and center-right politicians in the metropolis, strongly condemned the decision. They argued that the ecologists allowed dogmatism to override pragmatism, noting that while they publicly expressed support for merchants on camera, they ultimately refused to vote for the necessary resources to assist them. The coalition described the abstention as incomprehensible and akin to an abandonment of the affected business owners.
In response to four days of criticism and numerous questions from residents, Mayor Doucet took to social media to explain his position. He emphasized that the abstention was not a refusal to aid merchants but rather a strategic choice to signal that his group does not validate the proposed mechanism in its current form. Doucet highlighted a specific flaw in the plan: the metropolis intended to provide greater assistance to businesses located in sectors equipped with video surveillance. The mayor labeled this measure as perfectly unjust, asserting that all merchants victimized by looting deserve equal support regardless of their location.
Doucet further defended his stance by pointing out the reality of the events on October 17, stating that the presence of cameras on the streets failed to prevent dozens of instances of looting. By abstaining, the ecologist group aimed to reject a system they viewed as discriminatory, rather than withholding support from the merchants themselves.
Sources: Le Figaro.