Macron, Sarkozy, Hollande pay homage to Patrick Devedjian's memory

PanARMENIAN.Net - French President Emmanuel Macron, ex-Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande have paid tribute to the memory of French-Armenian politician Patrick Devedjian who died from Covid-19 on Sunday, March 29 morning.

A close adviser of Sarkozy and former president of the Parisian administrative district Haut-de-Seine, Devedjian was the minister in charge of dealing with French recovery from the 2008 financial crisis. The 75-year-old first publicly announced he was suffering from symptoms of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday.

President Macron hailed the former minister as "a free spirit" and a committed politician who put his culture, his immense knowledge of the law and his passion for freedom at the service of the country

The statement from the Elysée said Devedjian "never forgot his origins, had Armenia at heart, deeply loved France, its culture, its imagination".

Former President Sarkozy hailed the late politician as "a passionate, sincere, committed man".

“I am proud to have had him by my side. I want to express my infinite sadness," Sarkozy said in a tweet.

Hollande said Devedjian had courageously overcome many hardships: "I salute his memory and that of all the victims of this scourge."

Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, too, tweeted her "great sadness."

"I extend my condolences to his wife and family. I think of our Armenian friends who have lost a brother today."