Senator Gilbert Bouchet of The Republicans (LR) party, who championed the law to improve care for Charcot’s disease, from which he himself suffered, died on Monday, October 20, at the age of 78, the town of Tain-l’Hermitage (Drôme), where he served as mayor, announced.
In a statement, the municipality paid tribute to “the memory of a man who profoundly marked its history”. “He was a devoted politician and leaves behind a legacy marked by his exemplary courage in the face of adversity”.
Weakened and on a ventilator, Gilbert Bouchet had personally defended the reform for the care of patients affected by Charcot’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in October 2024. The disease affects those diagnosed and leads to death within a few years. It affects 6,000 to 7,000 people in France.
“Hope and Resilience”
The senator’s powerful testimony prompted a wave of emotion in the Senate chambers. The bill was passed.
At the opening of the public session in the upper house on Monday afternoon, a tribute was paid to him, followed by a moment of silence in the chamber. “Coming to the Senate every month, being present in our chamber was a motivation for him in his fight” against the disease, was praised, recalling the memory of a “humanist” who “transcended his illness through political struggle”. A “solemn tribute” will be paid to him at the Senate in “a few weeks”.
“Gilbert Bouchet faced his illness with the same fighting spirit that characterized his entire life. Until his final moments, he remained true to his ideas, his commitment, and his outspokenness, a symbol of a sincere and wholehearted elected official”, praised the town of Tain-l’Hermitage, where he was elected mayor in 1995.
“Gilbert Bouchet embodied hope and resilience, giving us all a beautiful lesson in courage, generosity, and dignity”.
The senator’s incredible courage was hailed, while the elected official’s strength of character and admirable dignity in the face of the disease were emphasized.
Gilbert Bouchet was born on January 8, 1947, in Ardèche. A business owner in the hotel industry by profession, he became a senator for the Drôme department for the first time in 2014.