Noémie Loiselle / Photo credits: JEFF PACHOUD / AFP 13:39 p.m., November 26, 2023
In the aftermath of the death of Gérard Collomb at the age of 76, the people of Lyon mourn the man who was their mayor for nearly 20 years. Europe 1 went to a market in the capital of the Gauls, where everyone salutes the memory of the politician "who loved the city".Gérard Collomb's funeral will take place on Wednesday at Saint-Jean Cathedral, in the heart of the historic district of Old Lyon. The former mayor of Lyon and the former interior minister in Emmanuel Macron's first government died on Saturday at the age of 76. He had been diagnosed with stomach cancer in September 2022. He is a member of parliament, senator, former member of the Socialist Party and mayor of Lyon for nearly 20 years.
"He loved the city"
This Sunday morning, at the market, it's a city in mourning. "Gérard Collomb was a figure," the Lyonnais unanimously told Europe 1. "I think he was one of our good mayors. I didn't necessarily share all his ideas, but he was a good-natured socialist," said a passer-by. "He talked to shopkeepers as well as customers. He lived just behind the daybreak market, so he would come. This is a person who had human contact," adds another. "He was really someone who mattered to the city of Lyon, who loved the city," said another.
>> READ ALSO - 'A dear friend', a 'tireless servant of the state': the political class pays tribute to Gérard Collomb
Elected mayor of Lyon in 2001 as the first president of the metropolis, Gérard Collomb launched major projects: pedestrianisation of the banks of the Rhône, a self-service bicycle service before Paris, and the revival of the Part-Dieu business district. "He harmonized the city that needed this boost, in terms of its appearance and in terms of the economy," said a woman from Lyon.
An unwavering commitment for this city. After learning of his stomach cancer, Gérard Collomb said "I will fight against the disease with the same energy that I had put into the service of Lyon".