Overview

• On August 7 the Constitutional Council upheld the PLM law’s constitutionality, clearing its application for March 2026 municipal elections.
• Under the reform voters will cast separate ballots for central municipal councillors and arrondissements or sectors, with Lyon holding a third ballot for metropolitan councilors.
• The majority bonus for the winning list will be cut from 50% to 25% of seats to enhance political pluralism at the municipal level.
• The overhaul, led by deputy Sylvain Maillard, overcame Senate opposition and survived three mid-July referrals to the Constitutional Council.
• Aligning Paris, Lyon and Marseille with France’s standard municipal system, the new rules could significantly affect next year’s mayoral races, particularly in Paris.