Several politicians, party leaders or elected officials paid tribute on Tuesday to journalist Gérard Leclerc, who died in the accident of a small tourist plane in Loire-Atlantique. “Deep emotion on learning of the disappearance of Gérard Leclerc in a plane crash. He was an immense journalist who spent a large part of his career at France Télévisions, ”said the president of the Les Républicains party Eric Ciotti on the X network (ex-Twitter).
Within the presidential majority, the mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi said he was “deeply saddened by the disappearance of Gérard Leclerc, journalist and talented political columnist”. “We will miss his enlightened analyses, his passion for information and his sense of debate”, he added, while president of the southern region Renaud Muselier paid tribute to a journalist “appreciated and respected for his professionalism”. “We are losing one of the most professional journalists of his generation,” added Macronist deputy for Yvelines Karl Olive, also on the X network.
Former journalist at France Télévisions, then president of the parliamentary channel LCP, Gérard Leclerc had more recently joined CNews, one of the channels of the Bolloré group. “Moved to learn of the disappearance of Gérard Leclerc, face of @CNEWS. I will remember him as a benevolent man and a passionate journalist, ”said the president of the National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella. “He loved the debate, hated sectarianism and was one of those who had the courage to be part of the CNews adventure from the start”, also declared the president of Reconquest Eric Zemmour on the same social network.
A few voices were also heard on the left to pay tribute to the journalist, like the socialist deputy of Mayenne Guillaume Garot. “The tragic disappearance of Gérard Leclerc is a great sadness. He was a rigorous and respected journalist, and had directed the Parliamentary Channel @LCP for several years”, he wrote, also on X. The former President of the Republic, François Hollande, hailed a “great elegant political journalist “.
