He “had been fighting cancer for many years”: former minister Jean-Pierre Soisson died at the age of 89

L'ancien ministre Jean-Pierre Soisson. MAXPPP – OLIVIER CORSAN

L'ancien ministre est "mort paisiblement entouré de sa famille", a expliqué son fils. C'était une figure de la Ve République.

Jean-Pierre Soisson died Tuesday at the age of 89, his family announced to AFP. "Jean-Pierre Soisson died peacefully, surrounded by his family today, declared his son David Soisson.

The former minister "had been battling cancer for many years", a- he explained.

Minister under the right and the left

Minister under the presidencies of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (Youth, Sports and Leisure) and François Mitterrand (Labour, Civil Service, Agriculture), this son of an industrialist held almost all positions the mandates of the Fifth Republic, of which he had become one of the figures.

The strong man of Burgundy

Mayor of Auxerre for twenty-seven years, elected deputy of Yonne ten times, twice president of Burgundy, he was above all the strong man of this region , which he had pegged to his body and whose levers he did everything to keep.

He was one of the five centrists elected regional presidents thanks to the FN, a choice which earned him strong criticism.