Annouck Cotillot takes Côte-d'Or Senate seat after Patriat's death

Annouck Cotillot has been appointed senator of Côte-d’Or, replacing François Patriat, who died on 19 August 2026. The appointment takes effect on 20 August 2026 at midnight, and the new senator joins the Rassemblement des Démocrates, Progressistes et Indépendants (RDPI) group. The decision is published in the Journal officiel de la République française (JORF n°194) of 21 August 2026.

A succession provided for by law

The replacement follows the procedure set out in article 32 of ordonnance n°58-1067 of 7 November 1958, the organic law on the Constitutional Council, and in article LO 320 of the electoral code. Under these provisions, the Minister of the Interior notified the President of the Senate that Annouck Cotillot was called to take the seat vacated by the death of François Patriat.

The appointment is recorded in two parliamentary information notices published in the same issue of the Journal officiel:

• JORFTEXT000054729269, “Composition du sénat”, which formalises the replacement of the senator of Côte-d’Or;
• JORFTEXT000054729271, “Groupes politiques”, which records the new senator’s adherence to the RDPI group.

A seat within the RDPI group

The second notice details the composition of the Senate’s political groups, which counts 348 seats for 348 elected members. The Rassemblement des Démocrates, Progressistes et Indépendants group is listed with 19 members, comprising 17 full members and 2 apparentés (affiliated members).

The notice specifies that François Patriat (Côte-d’Or), who died on Wednesday 19 August 2026, is replaced from Thursday 20 August 2026 at midnight by Annouck Cotillot, who adheres to the RDPI group. The other groups listed in the same notice include:

• Les Républicains — 131 members;
• Socialiste, Écologiste et Républicain — 64 members;
• Union Centriste — 59 members;
• Les Indépendants - République et Territoires — 20 members;
• Communiste Républicain Citoyen et Écologiste - Kanaky — 18 members;
• Rassemblement Démocratique et Social européen — 17 members;
• Écologiste - Solidarité et Territoires — 16 members.

A local and national political event

The succession in Côte-d’Or is both a local and a national event. Locally, it renews the representation of the department in the upper house of the French Parliament. Nationally, it maintains the balance of the Senate’s political groups, with the RDPI group retaining its full complement of members following the appointment.

The publication in the Journal officiel gives legal effect to the appointment, ensuring continuity of the department’s representation in the Senate. The new senator takes her seat as of 20 August 2026, in accordance with the provisions of the electoral code governing the replacement of senators whose seats become vacant.

Source: Journal officiel de la République française, n°194 of 21 August 2026, section Informations parlementaires (official references: JORFTEXT000054729269 and JORFTEXT000054729271).