Lyon, ville de l'extrême centre
Les municipales (town council elections) are now only 10 days away, and campaigns are getting into full swing. In Lyon, however, the mayoral election appears to be a foregone conclusion. Polls predict sitting Socialist mayor, Gerard Collomb, to be returned in the first round. ie with more than 50% of the vote. His policies over the last 7 years, notably the renovations of the Berges du Rhône & the park, are popular (83% of lyonnais have a 'favourable opinion'), the real centre in Lyon is in disarray, and the right wing (led by Dominique Perben, former justice minister, seen as being 'parachuted' into Lyon by the UMP) has messed up its campaign, principally by forming an alliance with a couple of the more extreme right wing parties.
Not that Collomb is what I would really call a socialist. Head of the list for the Partie Socialiste, true, but politically pretty centrist. The media characterise Lyon as a town of the 'extreme centre'. Sarkozy gained a slim majority of votes in Lyon in the presidential elections, but only just.
Monsieur le Président, meanwhile is as hyperactive as ever, but has supposedly been trying to soften his image somewhat over the last couple of days, following a bit of a faux pas at the annual agricultural show in Paris when he was caught on camera calling someone who refused to shake his hand a 'pauvre con' - nearest translation, bloody bastard.
