On the forecourt of the town hall, this Saturday morning, there is consternation. Despite the sun and the blue sky, the flag is at half mast and the elected officials gathered are in shock. Jean-François Debatisse and Jean-Pierre Béal, his assistants, cannot find the words to express their feelings. One of the two slips to us: “He was always in action, he always had to do something, he couldn’t stay quiet yesterday…”
In the wedding hall, the silence is heavy, the faces are closed, the eyes red with sadness. Elected officials act urgently. Marie-Claude Rageys, director general of services and her assistant, Christine Lhermet, try to focus as best they can on communication…