François Patriat funeral scheduled in Semur-en-Auxois

Funeral services for François Patriat, a prominent French senator and former minister, are scheduled to take place on Tuesday, August 25, at the Notre-Dame Collegiate Church in Semur-en-Auxois. Patriat passed away on August 19 in Dijon at the age of 83, following complications from a serious bicycle accident on July 17.

A significant number of attendees, including national political figures such as President Emmanuel Macron, are expected to attend the ceremony. Local authorities have implemented traffic and parking restrictions in the historic center of Semur-en-Auxois to accommodate an estimated 1,500 people.

Patriat held numerous influential roles throughout his career, including serving as a general councillor for Côte-d’Or for 32 years, a deputy, a mayor, and President of the Bourgogne Regional Council from 2004 to 2015. He also served as a minister under the government of Lionel Jospin. In the Senate, he led the RDPI group, representing senators close to the presidential majority.

Local officials from the Pouilly-Bligny community of communes have also held tributes, honoring his contributions to regional development, including projects such as the Auxois motor circuit and the creation of the first community of communes in France in 1992.