Death of Gérard Collomb, former mayor of Lyon and mentor of Emmanuel Macron, at 76

Death of the former mayor of Lyon Gérard Collomb at 76: a cornerstone of French politics dies

The news broke yesterday, marking French political history with a dark stone: Gérard Collomb, former mayor of Lyon, died at the age of 76. An eminent figure in French national politics, he was, in particular, a major actor in the sudden political rise of Emmanuel Macron. A look back at the career of this elected official with a marked personality and improbable alliances.

Introduction to politics: the beginnings of Gérard Collomb

Collomb entered politics at the end of the 1970s, but it was really in 2001, when he became mayor of Lyon, that he refined his political profile. During his successive mandates, he transformed Lyon significantly, modernized its structure and raised it to the rank of major European cities.

The mentor of Emmanuel Macron

In 2014, when Macron was still an unknown young minister, it was Collomb who detected him and became his mentor and loyal supporter. He was one of the first elected socialists to support Macron's presidential campaign in 2017, before becoming his Minister of the Interior.

A controversial departure

Within the Macron government, he occupies a key position. However, deep disagreements eventually emerged and led to his resignation in 2018. He returned to Lyon to devote himself to his city but the end of his career was marked by several electoral failures.

In Memory of a Pillar of French Politics

For many Lyonnais, Collomb will remain the mayor who transformed their city. For Emmanuel Macron, he was an unwavering support in his beginnings. Despite the controversy that surrounded the end of his political career, Gérard Collomb has undoubtedly left his mark on the French political scene over the last two decades. Despite its disappearance, the political imprint of Gérard Collomb will continue. Indeed, the city of Lyon bears the indelible mark of its former mayor, and in the history of the rise ofEmmanuel Macron in power, the name of Collomb retains an undeniable place.