The former boss of the departmental federation of the RPR died last night at the age of 94. He was close to Michel Debré and Auguste Legros, the former mayor of Saint-Denis. His funeral will take place this Sunday, August 6 at the funeral home of Prima.
EA • Posted Aug 4, 2023 11:10 AM, Updated Aug 4, 2023 12:27 PM
Marc Gérard or unlimited loyalty to the Réunionese right. This retired engineer, born April 6, 1929 in Saint-Denis (Reunion) and father of 3 children (Charles-Henri, Dominique, Christian) has always defended the colors of his party the RPR against all odds. His Ti’nom, moreover, according to those close to him, was “civil war” a nickname given by his classmates at Leconte de Lisle high school because of his legendary outbursts. Marc Gérard’s funeral will take place this Sunday, August 6 at the Prima funeral home.
His name has long been associated with the Debré ordinance of October 15, 1960. He was a fierce supporter of this text which framed the transfer of 13 Reunionese to France. In 1960, in the midst of the Algerian war, the Government had taken measures to guarantee the maintenance of order, the safeguard of the State, the pacification of Algeria (which was part of the French overseas territories). The Debré ordinance concerned civil servants whose behavior was “likely to disturb public order”. The prefects of the overseas departments thus had the power, without further formality, to transfer a civil servant to another position in Metropolitan France. Thirteen civil servants in Reunion Island had to pack their bags overnight as victims of this ordinance. Marc Gérard opposed to the “dropping” of Reunion had accepted the vice-presidency of the Association Réunion French department (ARDF), from 1963 to 1968.
Marc Gérard • ©RFO Reunion
Marc Gérard’s political commitment began with a speech at the Jardin de l’Etat in Saint-Denis during a rally (May 30, 1968) organized by the Association Réunion Département Français (ARDF). In front of several thousand people, he proclaimed his loyalty to General de Gaulle. Municipal councilor of the commune of Saint-Denis (1971), appointed 2nd deputy mayor Auguste Legros, responsible for town planning and co-responsible for finance (1971-1989), he was re-elected opposition municipal councilor for the town hall of Saint-Denis managed by Gilbert Annette then by Michel Tamaya (1989-1995).
True to his ideas, he declared himself in favor of Michel Debré’s candidacy for the presidential election against Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (1981). Regional councillor, representing the municipality of Saint-Denis in the first Regional Council in the history of Reunion (1974-1983), he also appeared on the Union Départementaliste list led by Michel Debré, vice-president (1986-1993). Marc Gérard was also General Councilor (1982-1988) and Chairman of the Finance Commission of the General Council, and as such Chairman of the Council of the French shores of the Indian Ocean, administrator of the Conservatoire de l’espace littoral et des shores lacustres (1976-1992) and chairman of the Réunion loans committee with the Caisse des dépôts et consignations.
Member of the UNR, Union for the New Republic (1971), at the urgent request of Michel Debré, he agreed to be its secretary (1971-1983). President of the departmental federation of the RPR (1983-1990), he remained an activist faithful to his political formation until the end.
Marc Gérard was 94 years old • ©DR
Marc Gérard was passionate about weather and the vagaries of the climate. He had first studied agronomy in Lille (Nord), second year at the Sorbonne in Paris to be an engineer. Like many Reunionese of his generation, he won the entrance exam to the National Meteorology School in Saint-Cyr (Yvelines). He joined Meteorology as a trainee engineer (1949). Deputy Director of Meteorology in Senegal and Mauritania (1951) and responsible for the creation and replacement of 11 weather stations in the two territories (1951-1953). He then worked in Mauritania and then as a forecaster in Dakar Yoff (Dakar aerodrome) in Senegal until 1961.
He then headed to Antananarivo, Madagascar, as a forecaster, then as head of transmissions (1961-1963). Marc Gérard returns to his native island as head of the climatological network (1963-1965), chief forecaster (1965-1969), assistant to the director, head of cyclone monitoring (1969-1985) and finally head of the islands’ meteorological infrastructure Tromelin, Glorieuses, Juan de Nova and Europa and the maintenance of their facilities.
On the associative front, Marc Gérard had also been particularly active. Creator and member of the Departmental Union of PEEP parents’ associations, president of the Mutuelle Age d’Or et Santé, which became Mutuelle Générale des Salariés de la Réunion (MGSR), president of the Reunion Island Association of Legion Members of honour, vice-president of the National Office of Merit, president of the Association of Academic Palms and finally a member of the Lion’s Club Doyen of Saint-Denis. Marc Gérard’s funeral will take place this Sunday, August 6 at the Prima funeral home.
Cyrille Melchior, the president of the Departmental Council pays tribute this Friday to Marc Gérard: “I want to pay tribute to the man of commitment that he was, passionate about public and political action. He will have contributed, in his respective mandates, to defending the general interest, that of our fellow citizens and especially of the Dionysians. I also want to salute the memory of a courageous, combative and determined athlete. To his family and loved ones, I address in my personal name and on behalf of all the Departmental Councilors my most sincere condolences..”
Tribute also from the current president of the Departmental Federation of Republicans. For Michel Fontaine, “we remember the strong and inspiring moments spent in his company, and his legacy will continue to guide us in our future actions. His determination and his ideals will remain an inspiration to all who had the privilege of knowing him. In these times of mourning, we would like to offer our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones..”
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