Funeral of LR MP Olivier Marleix: several hundred people gathered at his home for a final tribute

"It is better to be alive in a dead body than dead in a living body," said his daughter Anna at the start of the emotional funeral service in the Saint-Cyr Sainte-Julitte church, which was too small to accommodate the large crowd.

Most of the participants followed the tribute on a large screen located in front of the entrance to the building.

The MP's widow, his two daughters, his father, former Secretary of State Alain Marleix, and his mother Evelyne entered the church following the coffin carried by firefighters from Anet, a town of nearly 3,000 inhabitants where Olivier Marleix was mayor from 2008 to 2012 before being elected MP.

The ceremony was attended by numerous political figures, including Prime Minister François Bayrou, President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet, and President of the Senate Gérard Larcher.

Several members of the government present

The Republicans, Olivier Marleix's political party, were represented by their president, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, the head of the deputies Laurent Wauquiez, former head of government Michel Barnier, as well as ministers Annie Genevard (Agriculture), Sophie Primas (government spokesperson), Yannick Neuder (Health) and Véronique Louwagie (Trade).

Other members of the government, such as Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin (Renaissance) and Minister for Relations with Parliament Patrick Mignola (MoDem), were also present.

Outside the church, many residents of the 2nd constituency of Eure-et-Loir came to pay their respects to their MP, most of them standing in the sunshine on the church square, while others sought refuge in the shade of the nearby chestnut trees.

"He was always by our side, a great support," confided Sandrine Slimati, a teacher in the priority education network of Dreux, emphasizing that the deceased had "real convictions."