Macron, Hollande, Sarkozy offer condolences on passing of Patrick Devedjian

France’s incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, former Presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy have offered condolences over the demise of French-Armenian politician Patrick Devedjian.

“France loses a committed politician who put his great culture, his immense knowledge of the law and his passion for freedom at the service of his country and nation,” President Macron said in a message.

Born to a father who fled the Armenian genocide and a mother born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Patrick Devedjian had a passion for ideas: his galleries, his works testify to the work of a free spirit who always wanted to think the right in nuance and complexity, the President noted.

“He who, never forgetting his origins, had Armenia in his heart, deeply loved France, its culture, its imagination, its public services: his last public words were for the nursing staff who, until the end, helped him to fight against the virus and for the members of the Hauts-de-Seine department Council mobilized in the service of its citizens,” Macron said.

Ex-Prsident Francois Hollande said “Patrick Devedjian was a fighter.”

“He had courageously overcome many trials. The one who won him was the most devious because the most invisible. I salute his memory and that of all the victims of this scourge. The struggle requires the greatest national unity,” he said in a Twitter post.

Patrick Devedjian était un combattant. Il avait surmonté avec courage bien des épreuves. Celle qui l’a emporté était la plus sournoise car la plus invisible. Je salue sa mémoire et celle de toutes les victimes de ce fléau. La lutte engagée appelle la plus grande unité nationale.

— François Hollande (@fhollande) March 29, 2020

Former President Nicolas Sarkozy described Patrick Devedjian as a passionate, sincere, committed man.

“He embodied politics as I like, with feelings, convictions. I’m proud to have had him by my side. I want to express to his loved ones my deep emotion and my infinite sadness,” Sarkozy said.

Patrick Devedjian était un homme passionné, entier, sincère, engagé. Il incarnait la politique comme je l’aime, avec des sentiments, des convictions, du panache. Je suis fier de l’avoir eu à mes côtés. Je veux dire à ses proches ma vive émotion et ma tristesse infinie. NS

— Nicolas Sarkozy (@NicolasSarkozy) March 29, 2020

A 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 councilor in 2004. He had has chaired the department since 2007.

A close adviser of Nicolas Sarkozy since the 1990s, he was Minister under the Prime Minister in charge of the Implementation of the Recovery Plan, a special ministerial post created for two years after the global financial crisis of 2008, since December 2008

Patrick Devedjian passed away last night days after being diagnosed with coronavirus.