Emmanuel Macron and French political leaders attend funeral of Senator François Patriat in Burgundy

Gathering in Semur-en-Auxois

French political figures gathered on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, at the Gothic collegiate church of Notre-Dame in Semur-en-Auxois to attend the funeral of Senator François Patriat. The former minister and leader of the RDPI group in the Senate died on 19 August at the age of 83, following a month in the hospital after a bicycle accident on 17 July. Rain fell over the Burgundy town as the coffin arrived at the church, which was undergoing renovation. Approximately 100 members of the public watched the religious service from the square outside on a broadcast screen. The funeral mass in the Côte-d'Or commune was celebrated by the Archbishop of Dijon, Antoine Hérouard.

Presidential tribute to an early ally

President Emmanuel Macron addressed the congregation in Patriat's hometown, speaking as a personal friend and paying tribute to the senator's long career. Macron praised Patriat's loyalty and his early decision to support the En Marche movement from 2015, two years before the 2017 presidential election.

Whenever I turned around, François was there.

Macron recounted Patriat's background as a practicing veterinarian who visited farms at daybreak before holding political rallies in the afternoon. He noted that Patriat chose to defend the administration's record rather than conduct a political inventory of past policies.

When some spoke, a little over a decade ago, of a new political world, many were surprised to see this senator, who already had several decades of political life behind him, become its champion or spokesperson. It was not entirely natural, but he did it because he was free and at the same time loyal.

Five decades of elected mandates

Patriat's political career accumulated 95 years across various public offices over five decades. He joined the Socialist Party in the 1970s, aligning with Michel Rocard while admiring François Mitterrand. He served as Secretary of State for Commerce and later as Minister of Agriculture in the government of Prime Minister Lionel Jospin between 2000 and 2002. At the local level, he served as mayor of Chailly-sur-Armançon and president of the Bourgogne regional council before spending 18 years in the Senate. Prior to his accident, Patriat had decided not to seek another senatorial mandate in the September elections, having voiced concern in private that retirement from public life would precede his death.

State attendance across political strata

The ceremony brought together officials spanning a decade of Macron's presidency, alongside opposition and institutional leaders. Attendees included Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Senate President Gérard Larcher, and National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet. Four former prime ministers attended: Gabriel Attal, Élisabeth Borne, Michel Barnier, and François Bayrou. Other figures present included European Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné, former Élysée secretary general Alexis Kohler, and former cabinet ministers Christophe Castaner and Julien Denormandie. Constitutional Council President Richard Ferrand also attended to honour his former parliamentary colleague.

I simply came to salute the memory of a friend, a good man whose values of loyal friendship and solidarity I loved.