French MP Criticizing Macron Found Dead
Today 03:30
Olivier Malet. Photo.
According to AFP, citing the prosecutor Frédéric Chevalier, French MP Olivier Malet of the right-wing party "Les Républicains" in the National Assembly (lower house) was found dead. His body was discovered in his constituency, Annemasse (in the Eure-et-Loir department in central France). Preliminary information indicates that the MP died by suicide.
Malet was 54 years old and had been a colleague of former Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
On the evening of July 8, gendarmes found his body at his residence. AFP stated that the mayor of Annemasse reported it to the police.
"Les Républicains" confirmed the death of Malet. French President Emmanuel Macron called him a "seasoned politician" who "firmly defended his own ideas" in a post on X platform.
"I also respect our differences, as these differences stem from our love for the country," he wrote.
Other politicians also expressed their condolences, including Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice, and Marine Le Pen, leader of the "National Rally" parliamentary group in France.
In light of Malet's passing, the French National Assembly suspended its session briefly on the evening of July 7 and held a one-minute silence.
Malet was first elected as an MP in 2012. Before that, he served as an advisor to President Nicolas Sarkozy during his tenure (2007-2012). Malet was a vocal critic of Macron's policies. He led a parliamentary committee responsible for investigating the sale of Alstom's energy business to the American company General Electric. The MP believed that part of the proceeds from this deal might have been used to fund Macron's 2017 presidential campaign.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524607756024955428/
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