– The figure of Geneva liberalism, Jean-Michel Gros, no longer exists
Originally from Dardagny, the man died on June 30. From 1987 to 1999 he was a member of the National Council. Martine Brunschwig Graf pays tribute to him.
Published: 07/07/2023, 20:05
Jean Michel Gros in 2008
Olivier Vogelsang
The Geneva right just lost one of its elders. Jean-Michel Gros, born in 1953 in the canton of Geneva, was a key official in the late Swiss Liberal Party, which merged with the Radical Party in 2009. He died on Friday June 30, 2023 at the age of 70.
Before entering politics, the man studied oenology and worked as a winemaker. From 1983 to 1987 he was a member of the Satigny municipal council and also held the post of deputy mayor. At the same time he was elected to the Geneva Grand Council in 1985. During these years he was also chairman of the Geneva section of the Liberal Party.
He then joined the National Council. Until 1999 he defended the winegrowers and business circles there in general. In 1998 he introduced a parliamentary initiative that would allow homosexual couples to set up registered partnerships. After this term, he sat on the Geneva Grand Council from 2001 to 2010 and was Chairman of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Industry for a number of years.
An elegant man
Behind the successful politician is above all the man who will be missed by his family. “He was a person with strong values. He pursued politics with conviction while remaining elegant and polite,” recalls Martine Brunschwig Graf, former liberal state councilor and friend of Jean-Michel Gros.
When she met him in 1984, she was not yet a member of the Liberal Party. “He had asked me for help with an election campaign, he was party leader at the time. We have become friends. What impressed me was his ability to remain calm in elections that occupied him. He didn’t risk his life. She emphasizes that he has never given priority to his political mandates. “Whether as deputy mayor, whether he was elected to the city council, the grand council or the national council, he remained true to the same commitment.”
The Liberal-Radical has retained most of all her commitment to registered partnerships from her career. “Back then, it wasn’t easy to defend a project like this,” she notes. During the election campaign, he received unpleasant and inappropriate comments. But he fought this fight to the end and won.
His death leaves a void today. “I lost a friend who I was in regular contact with. I already miss him as he misses those who have had the privilege of knowing him. There are not enough politicians and men like him.”
Emilia Ghidoni has been a trainee at the Tribune de Genève since August 2022. He reports in particular on the city of Vernier. He has a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s degree in international relations.More information@emilien_ghidoni
Have you found an error? Please share this with us.
0 comments