This Wednesday, February 14, Valentine's Day, the emotion was palpable at Place Vendôme, to pay a final tribute to Robert Badinter, who died on February 9 at the age of 95.
His widow Elisabeth remained dignified in pain, dressed in a black dress for the occasion, and wearing an elegant bun.
She was surrounded by their three children, Judith (57 years old), Simon (55 years old) and Benjamin (54 years old).
The ceremony was chaired by the head of government Emmanuel Macron, under the gaze of numerous political representatives.
Among them, the Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti, the Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and the President of the Senate Gerard Larcher.
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François Mitterrand's former Minister of Justice leaves behind a bereaved nation.
An emblematic figure in the fight for human rights, Robert Badinter was also the one who worked to abolish the death penalty in France.
His burial in Place Vendôme was not chosen at random since it houses the headquarters of the Ministry of Justice, located in the Hôtel de Bourvallais.
Also read: Elisabeth and Robert Badinter, an independent couple through the century
A “fury for life”
For this last farewell, the politician's relatives first paraded behind the coffin to the sound of Beethoven's 7th symphony, followed by a eulogy delivered by the President of the Republic.
The latter retraced the journey of the French jurist and essayist, saluting “his fury for life”.
Several photographs were displayed to celebrate it.
Elisabeth Badinter, his widow, will have spent sixty years at her husband's side.
Married in 1966, the couple formed one of the most respected and influential duos in the Republic.
Indeed, this woman of letters, philosopher and recognized feminist notably received the Eugène-Colas prize from the French Academy in 2008, for her work
Les Passions Intellectuals
.
As for their children, Benjamin (54) is chairman of the board of Médias & Régies Europe.
Simon (55 years old) works in the audiovisual sector in the United States, and Judith (57 years old) is a psychoanalyst.