Overview

• The PLM law, governing municipal elections in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, may be reformed to allow direct mayoral elections in Paris and potentially other changes.
• Legal experts warn that such reforms could face constitutional challenges, particularly for Lyon and Marseille, which fall under standard municipal law.
• Critics argue that proposed changes may introduce governance issues, such as potential conflicts between directly elected mayors and councils with opposing majorities.
• The timeline for implementing these reforms is tight, as electoral law changes traditionally avoid being made within a year of elections, though this is not a constitutional requirement.
• Despite initial government interest, parliamentary priorities, such as narcotrafficking and end-of-life legislation, have delayed the reform's advancement.