Alain Devaquet (4 October 1942 – 19 January 2018)[1] was a French politician who was a minister under Jacques Chirac.
[2] The plan allowed universities to be more selective in the admission of students and to charge fees.
[3] The reaction against the proposals was strong, with mass protests by students and some strikes in support of their opposition.
[4] With the mobilisation of students also closely linked to other proposals aimed at tightening immigration laws, things came to a head with the death of Malik Oussekine, a student bystander who died in police custody on 6 December 1986 and whose death prompted mass outpouring of anger.
[5] The law was withdrawn two days later and Devaquet was forced to resign, although the incident proved a strong blow to the government and enhanced the profile of François Mitterrand due to his opposition.