The council of Rennes Métropole changes but not its political balance

Rennes Métropole will soon welcome its 111 metropolitan advisers. Even though a few municipalities have shifted to the right or center, the left remains largely in the majority.

During the municipal elections, we also elected those who sit on the 18 intermunicipal councils of Ille-et-Vilaine, the largest being Rennes Métropole. Rennes Métropole, whose budget for 2026 has surpassed one billion euros, encompasses 43 municipalities and has 111 community advisers.

During a Conference of Mayors of Rennes Métropole in May 2025, it was decided that the “Metropolitan Council would consist of 111 advisers for the 2026-2032 term”, down from the current 112. It was also decided to ensure “better representation of municipalities”. This led to Rennes, Cesson-Sévigné, and Laillé losing a seat, while Orgères and Saint-Gilles each gained one.

As the number of advisers is linked to the population, Rennes is obviously the most represented municipality with 48 seats, distributed based on the results from last Sunday. The winning list of Nathalie Appéré (43.8%) obtained 35 seats, 9 went to Charles Compagnon’s list (36.4%), and 4 to Marie Mesmeur’s list (19.9%).

Behind Rennes, Bruz is the only municipality with 4 metropolitan advisers, and Cesson-Sévigné is the only one with 3. Sixteen municipalities have two representatives each, while twenty-four others only have one representative.

The left is still in the majority, but less so in the new assembly. Several major left-wing municipalities have shifted, such as Bruz, Saint-Jacques de la Lande, Chantepie, or Vezin. The political balance will therefore change, but President Nathalie Appéré still holds a significantly favorable position.

Based on the results from last Sunday, the left has 62 seats in the Metropolis, not counting the 4 from LFI, which means they will once again hold the majority. The center has 22 representatives, and the right has 9. There are also 14 “without label” who, even if they choose opposition, would not form a majority.

This new metropolitan council is set to be installed on April 9. The President will be elected on this occasion. Nathalie Appéré is running for her own succession.