Saint-Amand-Montrond faces new elections

The town of Saint-Amand-Montrond in the Cher department must hold new municipal elections in December after its mayor was appointed as a deputy in the National Assembly. This triggered the need for a new election, an unusual situation in French local governance.

New deputy joins the National Assembly

Emmanuel Riotte became the deputy for the 3rd constituency of Cher on October 8, following Loïc Kervran’s election to the Senate. Riotte is part of the Horizons and independents group in the National Assembly.

Elections annulled without court ruling

The municipal elections held in March were administratively annulled by local authorities, without a court decision. This means the over 7,000 registered voters in Saint-Amand-Montrond will return to the polls in December.

Voters to elect 29 councilors

On December 6 or 13, voters will choose 29 municipal councilors and 17 community councilors. One of the candidate lists from the March 2026 elections is no longer viable, as all its candidates have resigned.

Rules require complete municipal council

A rule from the prefect’s office states that a mayor can only be elected if the municipal council is complete. This is no longer the case in Saint-Amand-Montrond, creating a legal and administrative challenge for the town.

Other deputies avoided similar issues

In Eure-et-Loir, deputies Éric Gérard and Philippe Vigier also faced potential conflicts, but Vigier lost his mayoral position in 2023, and Laurent Leclercq was already mayor for six months in 2023–2024, avoiding the same situation.

Uncertainty over deputy replacements

Some question what will happen if these new deputies must leave their roles, as there is no clear substitute. Holding a by-election before the presidential elections and a potential dissolution of the National Assembly would be politically complex.