Jean-Pierre Elkabbach, an emblematic figure of French journalism, died at the age of 86. An outstanding political journalist, he left his mark on generations with his pugnacious style and his talent as an interviewer. During his career, he has interviewed the world’s greatest political leaders, from Gorbachev and Mandela to Clinton and Putin.
Born September 29, 1937, Jean-Pierre Elkabbach began his career as a correspondent for RTF in Oran before moving to Paris in 1961. In May 1968, he was sidelined from ORTF (Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française ) for criticizing the “censors”. He then made his television debut in 1970, presenting the channel’s news.
Despite failures and ousters throughout his career, Jean-Pierre Elkabbach has always bounced back. In 1982, he joined Europe 1 as antenna director, then became deputy general director of the station the following year. In 1991, he returned to television by hosting the show “Repères” on France 3.
His career at the head of public channels, however, ended with his resignation in 1996, following the revelation of controversial contracts awarded to host-producers. However, he did not abandon the world of media, chairing the Public Senate channel from 2000 to 2009 and launching the show “Bibliothèque Médicis”.
In 2005, Jean-Pierre Elkabbach took the reins of Europe 1, a radio station in difficulty. Despite political wars and media criticism, he managed to turn the station around and bring it back up in the audience rankings.
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach has always been a man of convictions, sometimes criticized for his supposed political friendships. Close to Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande, he has always defended freedom of expression and diversity of opinions. His proximity to Vincent Bolloré, shareholder of CNews, was also the subject of debate.
Beyond his professional career, Jean-Pierre Elkabbach was a man passionate about politics, hungry for information and uncompromising in his interviews. His voice and distinctive style will remain engraved in the memory of listeners and viewers.
It is with emotion that France paid tribute to Jean-Pierre Elkabbach. President Emmanuel Macron hailed a “sacred monster of French journalism”, while former President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his sadness at seeing a “great of journalism” leave. The death of Jean-Pierre Elkabbach leaves a void in the French media landscape, but his legacy will live on through his landmark interviews and his commitment to a free and independent press.