souvenir portrait of “King René”, the ogre who fed on Saint-Malo

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“I was born in Saint-Servan, I live in Paramé and I work intra-muros”. This is how the “King René”a nickname that has long accompanied the one who wanted to be the synthesis and incarnation of Saint-Malo.

René Couanau, mayor of the city for 25 years, died on Saturday November 30 at the city hospital which he never left in his 88th year.

The old lion had calmed down

Beaten in 2014 for chasing one mandate too manythe emblematic deputy mayor of the corsair city had retained the liveliness of his gaze on local politics, recounting his moods and his rants on the debates that were shaking up the city. But the old lion had calmed down, the decline of power having calmed the appetites of the ogre who had made Saint-Malo its main course and the heart of all his ambitions.

Panache and strong character

The “Malouin Kennedy”, another of his nicknames, was MP for five terms. He brought all the big names of the Republic to Saint-Malo but his loud words, his independence and his rants blocked his path to a possible ministry, an accomplishment never achieved.

With hindsight, nothing surprising: René Couanau was a man of panache with a pig character. Master of his city but unmanageable in high places.

Banquets in the middle of the municipal council

The author of his lines met him in the early 2000s. And Saint-Malo shouted loudly at each municipal council.

In the opposite camp, a more or less united left put on a show with first-rate actors: Herri Gourmelenhistorical figure of the UDB with a stentorian voice, Michel Gendrot, the Radical with the checked shirt adorned with suspenders. Jacky and Mengeneral councilor then socialist senator. Jean-Charles Le Sager, the communist troubadour. And Isabelle Thomas, the student passionaria of the Devaquet law, a rising figure in the PS and René Couanau's whipping boy, who loved nothing more than crossing swords with his best enemies.

When the debates dragged on and promised to end in the middle of the night, a buffet was set with cold meats and wine so that elected officials regain strength mid-term. And the left and the right toasted the quarrels to come.

A close guard

Around René Couanau, a close guard formed a block. Henri-Jean Lebeau, cold-blooded enarque to the position of first deputy, guardian of finances. Catherine Jacquemin, who, despite her appearance as a great lady, had the social fiber deeply rooted in her body. Jean Sauvéethe security man who knew all the alleys of Intra-Muros. And of course Gilles Lurton, in turn or at the same time parliamentary assistant, neighborhood watchdog, the eyes and ears of the mayor to bring back to his office the pulse of Saint-Malo.

The campaign too many

“King René” has always known how to surround himself well so that nothing escapes him, except for this little dissonant voice to whisper to him in 2014 that 25 years at the castle was enough.

“It smells like the electoral campaign! », he liked to say at the epilogue of each of his mandates. He only lost oncebeaten by Claude Renoult, one of his deputies who was the only one to have turned his back on him to dare to confront him.

One last missed appointment

Retired from public life, the eternal fighter was not stingy with comments on current events in his city. Like not so long ago, its sadness to see closed the House of Poetsa tiny building on rue Pélicot, in the heart of Intra-Muros, having hosted, thanks to Dodik Jégou, the greatest writers in the world, and which he financed beyond reason.

René Couanau threw a tantrum against the Country Malouinbut as a great democrat, he remained faithful to us. Time passed and we reconciled. We had an appointment next week to a great interview. A cruel coincidence of life which he will be able to discuss with Herri Gourmelen, Michel Gendrot, Jean Sauvée and so many other lovers of Saint-Malo who left before him.

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