Dijon, France – January 31, 2026 — Olivier Minard will lead the La France Insoumise list in the upcoming Dijon municipal elections after Dominique Guidoni-Stoltz withdrew for health reasons, the party announced Saturday.
The change in leadership comes two weeks before the first round of voting and follows a recent poll indicating the list has 11% of voter intentions.
- Dominique Guidoni-Stoltz is stepping down as the head of the La France Insoumise list in Dijon due to health concerns.
- Olivier Minard, who was previously in the second position on the list, has been chosen as her replacement “unanimously” by the party.
- Minard is a 51-year-old philosophy professor and has been a member of La France Insoumise since 2017.
Guidoni-Stoltz requested to step down “for health reasons,” according to a press release issued by Dijon Populaire. “We offer our full support to Dominique in this ordeal. She was our first choice to represent the list and we are deeply saddened by the situation. We know she is a fighter and we will help her in her battle against illness, as she has helped and will continue to help us in this campaign and future deadlines, as much as possible,” the statement read.
Olivier Minard Named “Unanimously”
The party moved quickly to name a replacement following the unexpected development. La France Insoumise selected Olivier Minard, 51, a professor of philosophy and a party member since 2017, to lead the list. Minard was previously in the second position on the Dijon Populaire list and had been Guidoni-Stoltz’s “running mate since the beginning of the campaign,” the party said.
According to the party, Minard, who is also a member of the Force Ouvrière union and the IRELP (Institut de recherche et d’étude pour la libre pensée), is the ideal candidate. “We are convinced that he will admirably embody the program of rupture that we are co-elaborating for the city of Dijon,” the statement concluded.
Why It Matters
This leadership change occurs at a critical juncture for La France Insoumise in Dijon. With municipal elections approaching and a recent OpinionWay poll from January 16 indicating the list has 11% of voter intentions, the party faces an uphill battle. The swift and “unanimous” selection of Minard suggests an effort to project stability and unity in the face of this unexpected challenge. Minard’s background as a philosophy professor and union member may appeal to specific segments of the electorate, but his ability to galvanize support and significantly shift the party’s standing in the polls remains to be seen.
Time.news based this report on a press release from Dijon Populaire and added independent analysis and context.
