Geneva’s former State Councillor Philippe Joye dies
Published: Thursday, Mar 28th 2024, 16:30
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L'ancien conseiller d'Etat genevois Philippe Joye (PDC) est décédé mardi à l'âge de 82 ans. L'architecte, qui souffrait d'une maladie depuis plusieurs années, a été membre du gouvernement durant une législature entre 1993 et 1997 et a dirigé le département des travaux publics.
Joye's political career began in the Grand Council in 1985. From 1988 to 1993, the Christian Democrat was once again a member of parliament before being elected to the State Council.
Four years later, private matters caught up with him and he was forced by his party to renounce his candidacy for a second term. Joye had admitted to having an "ambiguous relationship" with a minor and to defaulting on payments from his architectural firm.
Change of party to MCG
En 2013, Joye passe au Mouvement Citoyens Genevois (MCG) et est élu au Grand Conseil. En raison de sa santé fragile, il ne siège qu'une année au parlement cantonal. En avril 2015, il est élu au conseil municipal de Vernier, mais démissionne finalement.
"He was a remarkable visionary, but also a master builder who led many projects to success," said MCG President François Baertschi. And: "In particular, he managed to build the Plan-les-Ouates bypass very quickly, which relieved traffic in the city center".
"Philippe Joye had a high level of political and technical expertise," emphasized Baertschi. He was not always a prophet in his own country: his major project, a transport link across the port of Lake Geneva, was rejected in a referendum in 1996.
"He was a man full of friendliness and openness towards others. He had a collection of ties with the image of Babar on them, which earned him his nickname," Baertschi recalls.
Separated from twin
Joye experienced a tragic story in his childhood: when he was born in a Fribourg hospital, his twin brother was swapped with another baby. The mistake was only discovered six years later and the two children were returned to their biological parents.
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