In Rouen, France, opposition members are challenging Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol in court, accusing him of "abuse of power." The dispute centers on the internal rules governing the city council, which the mayor's majority has recently changed. Marine Caron, president of the Reussir Rouen group—a coalition of seven opposition members from the right, center, and independent parties—announced the legal action in a video posted on social media on Tuesday, September 8. She criticized the mayor’s team for diminishing the role of the opposition in local governance. Caron explained that the changes to the council's internal regulations, approved in June, limit the ability of opposition groups to propose motions and participate in decision-making. "Before, each group could submit a motion at every council meeting, which was then discussed and put to a vote," she said. "Now, the initiative is restricted, and there are no amendments or votes at the end of the debates." She emphasized that what appears to be a technical adjustment to the rules has real consequences for the balance of power within the council. The opposition group has filed a lawsuit with the administrative court, seeking to cancel the decision to alter the internal regulations. Caron clarified that the legal action is not aimed at blocking the mayor’s governance but at ensuring that the opposition can fulfill its role in the council. "We are not filing a lawsuit to prevent the majority from governing, but so that the opposition, which we are, can play its role," she said. This legal challenge highlights growing tensions between the mayor’s administration and the opposition over the balance of power in local governance. The outcome of the case could influence how future decisions are made in Rouen’s municipal council and set a precedent for similar disputes in other French cities.