Les Écologistes (formerly Europe Ecology – The Greens) constitute a national political movement structured around ecological, social, and democratic issues. The movement advocates for an ecological transformation of society articulated with social justice, local democracy, and ecological planning.

In Montpellier, Les Écologistes have a long-standing presence, both activist and institutional, and have participated in various electoral configurations and municipal majorities over the past decades.

For the 2026 municipal elections, Les Écologistes have announced the formation of an autonomous ecologist list, titled "Printemps montpelliérain" and led by Jean-Louis Roumégas.

Jean-Louis Roumégas and Political Ecology in Montpellier

Jean-Louis Roumégas is a historical figure of local and national political ecology. A former Member of Parliament, he has been involved for many years in environmental, democratic, and social issues.

His designation as head of the list for the 2026 municipal elections is part of the desire of some Montpellier ecologists to reaffirm a distinct ecological political identity, separate from coalition logics dominated by other left-wing forces.

An Autonomous Ecologist List

For 2026, Les Écologistes in Montpellier have made the strategic choice to present an autonomous list, without integration into a coalition led by the Socialist Party.

This choice is presented by its proponents as:

• a desire to clarify the ecologist project to voters;
• a refusal of ecology reduced to a supporting role in management majorities dominated by other left-wing forces;
• a way to recenter political ecology in the municipal debate.

This orientation distinguishes the list led by Jean-Louis Roumégas from other local configurations where ecologists have chosen to participate in socialist majorities.

Tensions and Internal Divisions within Les Écologistes

The preparation for the 2026 municipal elections in Montpellier takes place in a context of internal disagreements within the local ecologist movement.

Strategic Disagreements

Several currents and sensibilities oppose each other on the strategy to adopt towards the currently in-place socialist municipality:

• a part of Les Écologistes defends a clear political autonomy, believing that ecology cannot be fully implemented in a majority dominated by the Socialist Party;
• another part favors a logic of alliance with Mayor Michaël Delafosse, considering this participation as a means to influence municipal policies from within.

The Case of Manu Reynaud and His Supporters

These divergences have notably crystallized around Manu Reynaud, a local ecologist figure, and his supporters, who have chosen to align themselves with the municipal majority led by Michaël Delafosse and the Socialist Party.

This positioning has been perceived by other ecologists as a political rupture with the orientation of autonomy defended by the Roumégas list. It illustrates deep disagreements on:

• the relationship with governing parties;
• the capacity of the current municipality to bring about genuine ecological transformation;
• the place of ecology in the balance of left-wing forces in Montpellier.

These tensions have contributed to structuring the local ecologist landscape for 2026, with ecologists present both in the outgoing municipal majority and in an autonomous ecologist opposition.

Local Political Positioning

The ecologist list led by Jean-Louis Roumégas positions itself as an alternative to the current socialist municipality, while distinguishing itself from other left-wing forces by a centrality given to ecological issues.

The criticisms formulated notably concern:

• the pace and scale of local ecological transition;

• urban planning and metropolization choices;

• the coherence between ecological discourse and concrete decisions.

Programmatic Axes Generally Highlighted

Without a definitively finalized municipal program at this stage, public statements by Les Écologistes and Jean-Louis Roumégas nevertheless allow identifying several recurring axes:

• Local Ecological Transition: reduction of the city's carbon footprint, adaptation to climate change, protection of biodiversity;
• Urbanism and Planning: critique of soil artificialization, reflection on urban density and city uses;
• Local Democracy: citizen participation, transparency of decisions, strengthening the role of residents;
• Social Justice: articulation between ecology and living conditions, fight against environmental inequalities.

Latest news