"Michel Delebarre left us this morning (...) Michel Delebarre will have carried out many projects which still mark our daily lives", announced the mayor of Dunkirk, Patrice Vergriete on his Facebook account, confirming information from La Voix du Nord.
"During his long career, which led him to become Minister of the Republic, he was able to forge a bond of trust and mutual esteem with the people of Dunkirk. In his memory, the flags of Dunkirk will be lowered to half-mast" , he added.
The socialist mayor of Lille, Martine Aubry, confirmed this death to AFP.
Michel Delebarre died in Lille, where he had been housed in an Ehpad for several months, "very weakened" in particular by severe diabetes, PS senator from the North, Patrick Kanner, told AFP.
Former senator in the North after a long career in the National Assembly and several ministerial posts under François Mitterrand, Michel Delebarre cut his teeth in politics alongside Pierre Mauroy.
Born in Bailleul (Nord) on April 27, 1946, he entered politics alongside Pierre Mauroy, for whom he was chief of staff at the town hall of Lille and then at Matignon, before being appointed Minister of Labor in 1984. on the arrival of Laurent Fabius as Prime Minister.
He continues with six other ministerial portfolios until 1993 (Social Affairs and Employment, Transport, Equipment or even the first Ministry of the City, under Michel Rocard).
Mayor of Dunkirk from 1989 to 2014, he was a deputy for twelve years, and president of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional council from 1998 to 2001. He also had responsibilities within the European Union, as President of the Committee of the Regions, a consultative body bringing together the territorial authorities of the European Union, between 2006 and 2008.
This geography graduate had been indicted in January 1997 in the Élysée wiretapping affair, as Pierre Mauroy's chief of staff and as such responsible for the interministerial control group (GIC), responsible for "interceptions of security".
The former minister had admitted in this context to having authorized certain illegal tapping.
He was convicted in 2005 but released from the sentence.
© 2022 AFP