Nanterre (AFP)
Tested positive for Covid-19 this week, the former minister of Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, Patrick Devedjian, 75, died in the night from Saturday to Sunday, the first death of a French political official as a result of the coronavirus.
This figure from the right, who has chaired the Hauts-de-Seine general council since 2007, was placed under observation Wednesday in a hospital in the department. Still stable on Friday, according to those around him, his condition quickly deteriorated on Saturday.
His relatives were "very worried because he had a fragile heart and indeed his heart did not hold," testified Sunday his "friend of thirty years", the Modem deputy from Hauts-de-Seine Jean-Louis Bourlanges, on Current Values website.
President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to "a free spirit who always wanted to think the right in nuance and complexity". His socialist predecessor, François Hollande, praised a "fighter" who "had courageously overcome many hardships". "The one who won was the most devious because the most invisible."
As for former head of state Nicolas Sarkozy (LR), he highlighted the "panache" of his former minister. "Patrick Devedjian was a passionate, whole, sincere, committed man".
The former Prime Minister François Fillon will keep in mind "the images of his smiling face, his sharp formulas, his acid humor, his intelligence, his culture".
- Armenia at heart -
As for the Defender of Rights and former right minister Jacques Toubon, he paid tribute to an "uncompromising fighter for freedoms, human rights and rights of the defense", in particular "for the recognition of the Armenian genocide".
Proud of his Armenian origins, Patrick Devedjian had indeed been involved in this fight for a long time.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has also expressed his "immense sorrow". "He was an exceptional personality," an "essential player in Franco-Armenian friendship," he tweeted.
A militant of the extreme right, before embracing the republican right, lawyer by profession, Patrick Devedjian was a deputy for the 13th district of Hauts-de-Seine from 1986 to 2017, mayor of Antony from 1983 to 2002 and elected departmental advisor in 2004.
He was also spokesperson for the RPR from 1999 to 2001 and secretary general of the UMP from 2007 to 2008 and held several government positions.
Supporter of the autonomy of local authorities, he was first Minister Delegate in charge of Local Liberties (2002-2004), then Minister Delegate for Industry and finally Minister responsible for the Recovery Plan, from 2008 to 2010, in the midst of a crisis financial.
- Great collector -
He also chaired the Public Establishment for the development of the La Défense business district (Epad) from 2007 to 2009. He opposed Nicolas Sarkozy, then President of the Republic, who tried, in vain, to impose on his head his son Jean, 23 years, while Mr. Devedjian had to leave the place, reached by the age limit (65 years).
After the controversy, he worked on the creation of the Paris-La Défense public establishment, of which he took the presidency in January 2018.
A great collector, keen on art, Patrick Devedjian was also administrator of the Louvre museum.
He was at the initiative of the construction of the large cultural complex La Seine Musicale in Boulogne-Billancourt and the Paris-La Défense Arena event venue in Nanterre.
Recently, he was in charge of the creation of the Grand Siècle Museum in the Sully barracks in Saint-Cloud. A project that will be "continued", assured the departmental council to AFP.
Patrick Devedjian had started in 2016 a project to merge Hauts-de-Seine with the Yvelines department, led by Pierre Béder (LR).
"Together we waged the fight for a Parisian Metropolis worthy of the name (...). To honor his memory is to continue his fight", reacted Mr. Bedi a press release.
Married, Patrick Devedjian had four sons.
© 2020 AFP