Departures of note

François Patriat was a French politician who held senior national and regional office over several decades. Born in Semur-en-Auxois, he trained as a veterinarian at the École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort before entering politics, joining the Socialist Party in 1974 and serving as a deputy in the National Assembly from 1981, as well as mayor of Chailly-sur-Armançon from 1989 to 2001.

Under Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, Patriat served as Secretary of State for small and medium-sized enterprises, trade and crafts, and in 2002 became Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. He was president of the Regional Council of Burgundy from 2004 to 2015, and was elected to the Senate for Côte-d'Or in 2008, being repeatedly re-elected.

A founding supporter of Emmanuel Macron, Patriat left the Socialist Party to join La République En Marche and became president of the party's group in the Senate from its creation in 2017. He remained a prominent figure in the French upper house until his death in August 2026 at the age of 83.