“The death of Marcel Boiteux” occured “yesterday (Wednesday) at the end of the day”an EDF spokesperson told AFP.
Marcel Boiteux had launched a few months before the 1973 OPEC oil embargo against the United States the slogan “All nuclear, all electric”before the second oil shock of 1979 confirmed his option.
“A legacy to defend. Thank you”reacted on the social network
“Artist of a national consensus around civil nuclear power, the linchpin of the Messmer plan”the vast nuclear power plant construction program announced in 1974, he embodied “French energy”according to the MP.
Under his leadership, the establishment would, for more than ten years, mobilize its technical, financial and human resources to meet the nuclear bet.
More Marcel Boiteux had to fight a very tough battle against opponents of nuclear energy, and had narrowly escaped an attack – a bomb had exploded at the entrance to his home in 1977.
Brilliant service during the Second World War
Marcel Boiteux, born May 9, 1922 in Niort (Deux-Sèvres), into a Protestant family, was the son and grandson of normaliens. Normalien himself, a graduate of Sciences-Po and agrégé in mathematics, he began, after brilliant service during the Second World War, his career in 1947 at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
Joined EDF two years later, he reigned for nine years in the direction of general economic studies, before climbing the ranks of the hierarchy: he was deputy director general (1967), then director general the same year, before taking the chairman of the board of directors in 1979. Allowed to claim his retirement rights in 1987, he became honorary chairman of EDF.
Elected in 1992 to the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, Marcel Boiteux had also chaired numerous organizations: European Center for Public Enterprise (1982-85), Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies (IHES) (1985-1994), Conference World Energy Commission (1986-89), board of directors of the Pasteur Institute (1988-1994), EDF Foundation (1987-2001).
In 2008, he became a member of the Strategic Orientation Committee of the Sustainable Environment Federation (FED), an association opposed to wind power.
Marcel Boiteux was Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor, Croix-de-guerre 39-45, Commander of the German Order of Merit.