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Laurent Zecchini
Laurent Zecchini (born March 10, 1952), is a French journalist, specialized in international affairs and defence, who spent 35 years at Le Monde, mainly as a permanent correspondent in different countries. He left Le Monde in december 2014, to write an biographical essay and teach at Sciences Po.

Biography
Zecchini began his journalistic career at Le Figaro in 1972. He joined the political desk in 1974 and covered the french National Assembly. In 1977-1978, he was a reporter at Radio Monte-Carlo, covering french politics, and joined Le Monde in 1979. Working at the political desk, he was the parliamentary correspondent until 1983. He joined the International desk of Le Monde in 1984, where he was assigned to cover countries of central and western Africa. In 1987, he moved to New Delhi where he was appointed as Le Monde bureau chief for South Asia, covering India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Zecchini became the London correspondent of Le Monde, from 1991 to 1994. He was then appointed bureau chief in Washington DC, where he stayed until 1998. Back to Paris, he was in charge of the european correspondents, before moving to Bruxelles, as bureau chief, then diplomatic correspondent, from 2000 to 2004, specialised in defence affairs and NATO. Moving to Paris, he was appointed Le Monde’s defence correspondent. In this capacity, he covered military and strategic affairs in France and abroad. His last assignment was Bureau Chief of Le Monde in Jerusalem, where he stayed from 2009 to 2014, covering Israel, Palestinian territories and Jordan.

Research
Zecchini is currently working on a biographical essay on Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, the french aristocrat and military officer who fought for the United States in the American Revolutionary War. Lafayette was a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830.