DEATH OF MR PHILIPPE SÉGUIN PREMIER PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH COUR DES COMPTES

Philippe Séguin, Premier Président of the French Cour des comptes, died of a heart attack on Thursday January 7at his home in Paris. He was 66 years old.

Philippe Séguin had been appointed in July 2004 at the head of the Cour des comptes where he had started his carreer as an auditor after graduating from the National School of Administrtation (ENA) in 1970. In five years, he deeply and significantly transformed and modernized the Cour, with the concern to place the control of public finance at the upmost of republican and democratic values. Defending the independence of audit institutions, he had a high and demanding view of the role of the Cour at the service of the citizen.

He considered his international action with the same rigor and ambition, as much his terms of external auditor of international organizations as well as his role in organizations such as EUROSAI, INTOSAI, AISCCUF and the European Union.

Hard working, impatient, rigorous, he knew how to welcome counterparts and share among communities which were soon to become circle of friends: community of French speaking countries, professional and sports acquaintances. Eager to discover the world, he knew, as a humanist, that institutions are the fruit of a history and a culture, and that each country has to build its own way towards democracy.

Member of Parliament, Minister, President of the National Assembly, Philippe Séguin occupied a prominent place in the French political life, which inspired a unanimous homage and tribute. His sense of the State and of general interest, his high ideas about republican values have been praised. The sadness of the members and personnel of the Court and the public at large showed how popular the Premier Président and the man were.

The interim of the First Presidence is entrusted, according to the statutory provisions of the financial jurisdictions, to the dean of the Presidents of Chambers of the Cour, Mr Alain Pichon.