Lyon political crisis deepens as Aulas stripped of Métropole duties after rape complaint

Allegations and complaint

A young activist involved in Jean-Michel Aulas's municipal campaign filed a complaint in May for rape by chemical submission against the campaign's communications director. According to the complaint, the alleged attack took place in January in a Lyon hotel room. The activist informed Aulas and several of his close associates of the accusations in February. Aulas has said that from that moment he kept the adviser away from the campaign headquarters but did not dismiss him. The adviser, through his lawyer, "conteste fermement et avec sérénité toute accusation". The affair became public when the press reported the complaint on 10 June.

Slow withdrawal from city council

On 11 June, Aulas refused to step back from his role as first vice-president of the Métropole de Lyon, despite calls from the newly elected LR president, Véronique Sarselli. The following day, however, he announced he was stepping back from his position as leader of the opposition at Lyon city council. A statement from his group, Cœur Lyonnais, said: "Jean-Michel Aulas, Président du groupe, et Laure Cédat, Vice-présidente, ont formulé la proposition de se mettre en retrait de la gouvernance du groupe pour préserver l'unité du collectif." The move failed to calm the situation.

Métropole president intervenes

On 13 June, Sarselli announced she was temporarily withdrawing delegations from Aulas and two other elected officials from the group Grand cœur lyonnais: Laure Cédat and Emmanuel Imberton. She told Le Progrès she had to "garantir l'exemplarité et le fonctionnement de l'institution métropolitaine qui est plongée en plein malaise". Sarselli reproached the three for not informing her of the affair during the municipal campaign and for not reporting the allegations to the judicial authorities, adding that they kept the adviser in post until the end of the campaign.

Fractures in the political group

Despite the retreat, two councillors quit Cœur Lyonnais immediately after a tense meeting on 12 June. Pierre Oliver, the LR mayor of Lyon's 2nd arrondissement, said: "On ne peut plus siéger avec eux." Three other councillors (Emmanuel Hamelin, Samuel Soulier and Nina Bouffet) also left the group, which had brought together right-wing, centrist and civil-society figures. The departures underscored the depth of the internal rift.

How the crisis unfolded

The judicial investigation is now under way. Aulas remains an elected metropolitan councillor, as Sarselli acknowledged that the law does not allow her to force a resignation. The episode has already reshaped the balance of power in Lyon's political landscape, weakening the alliance that brought Sarselli to the presidency in March.