Nicolas Sarkozy Pays Tribute to Fallen Police Officer Aurélie Fouquet
The former French president breaks his media silence to honor the memory of the police officer killed in a 2010 shooting.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France, made a public appearance on May 20, 2025, at a tribute honoring Aurélie Fouquet, a municipal police officer who was shot and killed in 2010. The event took place in the garden of the town hall in Villiers-sur-Marne, Val-de-Marne, where Fouquet lost her life during a botched robbery.
Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, emphasized that his decision to break a self-imposed media silence was motivated solely by respect for Fouquet and her family.
Sarkozy's appearance follows his recent admission to a conditional release regime after being sentenced in December for corruption and influence peddling related to a wiretapping case.
He received a total sentence of three years, with one year in prison and the remainder under house arrest with electronic monitoring.
On May 14, 2025, he was granted conditional release and had the electronic monitoring device removed after three months.
During the tribute, Sarkozy expressed his condolences directly to Fouquet’s family, stating, "I feel responsible for the death of your daughter and the death of your mother." He addressed Fouquet's parents and her son, who is now a teenager.
The tragic event occurred on May 20, 2010, when a group of armed robbers, who had been spotted by police, engaged in a high-speed chase on the highway, firing at law enforcement officers and injuring several motorists.
In Villiers-sur-Marne, they opened fire on a municipal police vehicle, resulting in the death of the 26-year-old Fouquet and injuries to her colleague.
The perpetrator, Rédoine Faïd, was later sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in organizing the failed robbery.
According to Jacques-Alain Benisti, the mayor of Villiers-sur-Marne, Aurélie Fouquet is remembered as "the first municipal police officer in France to be a victim of duty."
Additionally, Sarkozy extended his congratulations to Bruno Retailleau, the newly elected leader of the French political party Les Républicains, who was also present at the tribute.
Retailleau praised Fouquet's memory, describing her as a symbol of duty and sacrifice.
He remarked that law enforcement embodies "the France of sharing and self-giving" in contrast to those who engage in destruction.