Death of former minister Jean-Pierre Soisson at the age of 89. The former political leader, strong man of Burgundy and mayor of Auxerre from 1971 to 1998, "had been battling cancer for many years", his son David Soisson said.
Born on November 9, 1934, son of an industrialist, Jean- Pierre Soisson entered the government in 1974 as Secretary of State for Universities, then was appointed Minister of Youth, Sports and Leisure (1978-81 ) in the government of Raymond Barre. In 1998, this man with deep local roots who was the strongman of burgundy was one of the five centrists elected regional presidents.