Figure of political journalism, writer, mythical voice of RTL for nearly three decades, Philippe Alexandre died Monday, October 31 at the age of 90. He died ” peacefully » in Touquet, announced his daughter Agnès Alexandre-Collier, with the agreement of his sister and his mother-in-law, the journalist and writer Béatrix de l’Aulnoit, to Agence France-Presse.
Columnist at RTL from 1969 to 1996, he also went through television, notably alongside Serge July, and was immortalized by “Les Guignols de l’info”, who paid tribute to him on Monday on social networks. His columns on RTL, listened to every morning by hundreds of thousands of listeners, were feared by politicians on all sides.
Philippe Alexandre has just left us. We will miss his iconic duet with Serge July… ???? ???? https://t.co/Yq4IDisDwH
Many political and journalistic figures reacted to the announcement of his death. “With Philippe Alexandre, the French press loses a fierce pen, a relentless investigator, a free voice. Dreaded and admired, he was for many French people one of the most familiar faces of political journalism.reacted Monday evening on Twitter President Emmanuel Macron.
With Philippe Alexandre, the French press loses a fierce pen, an implacable investigator, a free voice. Redout… https://t.co/GAfrwJWITm
“With his talent, his vivacity, his free speech and the percussion of his editorials, he marked the history of the station”and saluted RTL. “We were far from always in agreement, but he knew all about politics, and his mind was as sharp as his pen was sharp. It’s a great voice that disappears”wrote on Twitter the president of the Court of Auditors and former socialist minister Pierre Moscovici.
Accustomed to defamation lawsuits
Born in Paris on March 14, 1932 into a family of Jewish origin, whose story he told in My tribe more than French (2017), Philippe Alexandre started in journalism in 1951 as an editor at Combat. He joined RTL in 1969 after going through The liberated Oise, French days, The New Candid, or The Literary Figaro.
“The man with libel trials as numerous as his political works”, as he called it Monde, spared no head of state. He claimed that the Elysee asked for his resignation in 1982 “to appease François Mitterrand, to whom [ses] chronicles gave hives”.
On television, from 1989 to 1992, he co-hosted the political program “Le Débat” on TF1, with Serge July and Michèle Cotta. Then, in the 1990s, “Sunday evening”, on France 3, with Christine Ockrent and Mr. July. He left RTL in 1996, after the merger of the Compagnie luxembourgeoise de télédiffusion (CLT) with the German group Bertelsmann.
Having become a political columnist for BFM, France 3 and for various magazines, Philippe Alexandre has published some twenty books, including Countryside landscapes (on the 1988 presidential election, Today award), Too many taxes kill jobs (2005) or Politics lovers dictionary (2011). He co-wrote several books with his partner, Béatrix de l’Aulnoit, including a pamphlet against Martine Aubry, The Lady of 35 hours (2002), which angered the socialist leader.
Philippe Alexandre will be buried on Saturday in the cemetery of Le Touquet, in Pas-de-Calais, said his family.