Jean-Hugues Colonna, former socialist deputy from Alpes-Maritimes and father of Yvan Colonna, died on January 14 at age 91. He had always maintained his belief in his son's innocence, convicted for the 1998 assassination of prefect Claude Erignac. Having withdrawn to Cargèse in Corse-du-Sud, he had an active political career under François Mitterrand.
Jean-Hugues Colonna passed away on January 14, far from the storms of public life that he had fled to retire on his estate overlooking Cargèse beach in Corse-du-Sud. At 91, this former socialist deputy from Alpes-Maritimes leaves behind a path marked by his political commitment and unwavering support for his son Yvan, imprisoned since 1998 for the murder of prefect Claude Erignac.
Born away from Corsican shores, Colonna began as a physical education teacher. He married Cécile Riou, a Bretonne from Finistère, who died in 2025. The couple had three children: Yvan, Christine, and Stéphane. In 1975, transferred to Nice, he entered politics within the Socialist Party, rising through the ranks to become federal secretary. During François Mitterrand's era, he discreetly advised ministers.
In Nice, he operated in the shadow of Jacques Médecin, the powerful RPR deputy and mayor who dominated the region. Colonna, described as an impatient man with Cary Grant-like features, now weighed every word from his retreat. His death marks the end of an era for a figure who embodied socialist engagement in Alpes-Maritimes and fiercely defended his son's cause.
