Lyon: Grégory Doucet wants all foreigners to be able to vote in municipal elections

Around thirty mayors in France, mainly from left-wing parties and the environmentalist party, signed a European appeal in favor of the right to vote of foreign residents in local elections, initiated by the “Voting Rights for All Residents (VRAR)” network.

Among them, Grégory Doucet (EELV) and Cédric Van Styvendael (PS), respectively mayor of Lyon and Villeurbanne, but also the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo (PS), the mayor of Grenoble Eric Piolle (EELV) and the mayor of Marseille, Benoit Payan (PS).

Only EU residents currently allowed

An initiative which follows the fact that only foreign residents from a European Union country can be, today in France, voters in municipal elections.

“They must nevertheless demonstrate sufficient length of residence and hold their political and civil rights in their State of origin,” specifies the government.

Residents who do not have French or European nationality are therefore not authorized to vote. A situation that some elected officials would like to see change but which divides the political sphere since many years.

“We don’t want others to be excluded because of their passport”

We are happy to welcome those who have adopted the citizenship of our country, but we do not want others to be excluded from equal participation in democratic life in our community because of their passport. Citizens with EU passports have been active as voters and elected officials for over 25 years. The right to vote for the entire population of the same city strengthens social cohesion, the identity of that city and our democracy.

In Europe, other political leaders have also signed this appeal. As a reminder, around ten EU member countries already authorize all foreign residents to vote in municipal elections, including Ireland and Luxembourg.

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