“A man of experience”, “rigorous”, “a loyal supporter”: a shower of tributes after the death of Olivier Marleix

Nostalgic for Gaullism and a self-proclaimed sovereignist, LR MP Olivier Marleix, who took his own life on Monday at the age of 54 , had distinguished himself by his opposition to Macronism, which he had made a virulent critique of in a book.

The father of two daughters, the MP was also the son of Minister Alain Marleix, who had held ministerial posts under Nicolas Sarkozy and was one of the most knowledgeable experts on the electoral map.

A supporter of Edouard Balladur in 1995, Olivier Marleix was a rather discreet man of classical elegance. He was first elected to the National Assembly in 2012 in Eure-et-Loir, far from his father's Cantal constituency.

Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen paid tribute to the memory of Olivier Marleix, "a grassroots, rigorous elected official committed to his ideas." LFI leader Manuel Bompard paid tribute to "a political opponent who was always respectful and had a unique voice."

The National Assembly observed a minute of silence in tribute to LR MP Olivier Marleix. "I am deeply saddened to confirm that our colleague Olivier Marleix has left us. It's a shockwave," said session chair Naïma Moutchou (Horizons) , announcing that a tribute would be paid to him on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the chamber. Patrick Mignola, Minister for Relations with Parliament, praised a deputy "unanimously recognized as a formidable, but always loyal, rhetorician."

He was an "experienced politician" who "defended his ideas with conviction," Emmanuel Macron praised in a message on the social network X on Monday. "I also respected our differences since they were placed in the light of our love for the country," the head of state reacted to the Eure-et-Loir MP, a fervent critic of Macronism.

Very close to Michel Barnier, the latter said on X (Twitter) “that he shares his family’s pain”.

Prime Minister François Bayrou expressed his "astonishment" and "immense sadness" on Monday. "We will miss his tall figure," said the head of government, who will also pay tribute to him on Tuesday morning during a visit to Chartres, in the MP's neighboring constituency. "We never realize the fragility of human beings," added François Bayrou.

Former head of state Nicolas Sarkozy paid tribute to his former technical advisor at the Élysée Palace, "a valuable collaborator, a loyal supporter whose commitment never failed me."

Among his political opponents, many have paid tribute to the memory of this prominent figure in the National Assembly. Former Socialist President François Hollande, for example, argued that "loyalty to his party did not distract him from the respect he elegantly displayed for ideas that were not his own."

Renaissance boss Gabriel Attal , for his part, described him as "a man of passion and conviction, who sincerely defended his ideals", "a seasoned parliamentarian, for whom strong ideas could be exchanged with respect", "an elected official who was very close to the French people, who drew the roots of his commitment from the field".