Former Minister of Culture under Jacques Chirac and former mayor of Fréjus, François Léotard passed away at the age of 81, as announced by Emmanuel Macron on April 25. Since the announcement of his death, reactions in the PACA region have been multiplying.
On his Twitter account, the President of the Republic shared the news in the early afternoon. François Léotard, former minister under Édouard Balladur and then under Jacques Chirac, passed away on April 25. Emmanuel Macron praised him as “a free spirit, a man of books and commitment.” He had supported him in the 2022 presidential elections. The head of state highlighted his attachment to his native Var. A statesman and a true local figure, the Cannes-born politician led the town hall of Fréjus for 20 years.
Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regional council, was one of the first to honor the memory of “a man of state and the regions.” Subsequently, he praised his love for democracy, stating that “he always respected opposing opinions while loving debates.”
Reactions in the Alpes-Maritimes
Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice and president of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, quickly shared his emotion. He mentioned being affected by “the passing of a friend.” He wrote: “A formidable defender of liberal right-wing ideas, we shared this fight against the extremes.” During the 1984 European elections, François Léotard made an impression by opposing the RPR-UDF list led by Jacques Chirac and Simone Veil, as he believed it would “be a great service to Jean-Marie Le Pen.”
David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes, expressed his sadness. The Republican highlighted “the vitality of (his) liberal ideas within the Republican Party” of the right-wing man born in Cannes into a family of seven children in 1942.
Éric Ciotti, deputy and departmental councilor of the Alpes-Maritimes, paid tribute to “a great statesman and figure of the UDF.” A right-wing political party he presided over from 1996 to 1998 after leading the Republican Party. The current president of the Republicans shared: “His love for his land and for France should guide us!”
Patrick Allemand, former Nice municipal councilor and staunch opponent of the right, commented on the departure of a “true republican.” He joined his long-time rival, Christian Estrosi, in emphasizing his fight against the far right. “In the 1998 regional elections, when part of the regional right was tempted to make a deal with the National Front and Jean-Marie Le Pen, he was among those who managed to ‘hold the fort’ and contributed to Michel Vauzelle’s election,” the left-wing politician recalled.
At Home in His Native Var
Elected deputy of Var four times, it was in Fréjus where he served as mayor for twenty years. It was his stronghold and where he retreated after retiring from politics in 2022. The current mayor, David Rachline, paid tribute to him on behalf of the people of Fréjus. “The Base Nature and the college that bear his name, or even Port-Fréjus, are significant examples of the new impetus he brought in his time to the community to improve the quality of life of our citizens, and these will endure,” wrote the mayor from the National Rally.
The mayor of Saint-Raphaël and president of Estérel Côte d’Azur Agglomération, Frédéric Masquelier, described him as “a figure of the right.” He mentioned “a man of values who has marked French and Var history.”
Hubert Falco, former mayor of Toulon who was forced to resign his office last week following a legal conviction, expressed “immense sorrow” following the announcement of his “friend’s” death. In his statement, he painted a praiseful portrait, nostalgically recalling their conversations in the heart of the Estérel massif: “It was during those long runs that we would remake the world, again and again, discussing the future of the department.”
