Jacques Chirac
22nd President of the French Republic 5th President of the Fifth Republic Co-Prince of Andorra
In office 17 May 1995 – 16 May 2007
Prime Minister	Alain Juppé Lionel Jospin Jean-Pierre Raffarin Dominique de Villepin
Preceded by	François Mitterrand
Succeeded by	Nicolas Sarkozy
Mayor of Paris
In office 20 March 1977 – 16 May 1995
Preceded by	Office Created
Succeeded by	Jean Tiberi
159th Prime Minister of France 10th Prime Minister of Fifth Republic
In office 20 March 1986 – 10 May 1988
President	François Mitterrand
Preceded by	Laurent Fabius
Succeeded by	Michel Rocard
155th Prime Minister of France 6th Prime Minister of Fifth Republic
In office 27 May 1974 – 26 August 1976
President	Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Preceded by	Pierre Messmer
Succeeded by	Raymond Barre
Minister of the Interior
In office 27 February 1974 – 28 May 1974
Prime Minister	Pierre Messmer
Preceded by	Raymond Marcellin
Succeeded by	Michel Poniatowski
Born	November 29, 1932 (1932-11-29) (age 75) Paris, France
Political party	UDR, RPR and UMP
Spouse	Bernadette Chirac
Occupation	Civil Servant
Religion	Roman Catholic

Jacques René Chirac (born November 29, 1932) served as the President of France from May 17, 1995 until May 16, 2007. The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected See also Government of France The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on This is a list of Co-Princes of Andorra. The Principality of Andorra, in the Pyrenees Mountains on the French – Spanish border Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Alain Marie Juppé (born 15 August 1945 is a French right-wing politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997 under President Jacques Chirac Lionel Jospin (born 12 July 1937 is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France, during the third " cohabitation " Jean-Pierre Raffarin (born 3 August 1948 is a French conservative Politician and senator for Vienne. Dominique de Villepin (born Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (dɔminik də vilpɛ̃ &mdash) on 14 November 1953 in Rabat, Morocco François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand ( 26 October 1916 8 January 1996 served as President of France from 1981 to 1995 elected as representative of the Socialist Nicolas Sarkozy (pronounced, Before the French Revolution, the municipality of Paris was headed by the provost of the merchants ( prévôt des marchands) Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Jean Tiberi (born January 30, 1935) is a French Politician who was mayor of Paris from May 22, 1995 to The Prime Minister of France ( Premier ministre français) in Fifth Republic is the functional Head of the government and Council of Ministers See also Government of France The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand ( 26 October 1916 8 January 1996 served as President of France from 1981 to 1995 elected as representative of the Socialist Laurent Fabius (born 20 August 1946 is a former Socialist Prime Minister of France. Michel Rocard (born 23 August 1930 is a French politician, member of the Socialist Party (PS The Prime Minister of France ( Premier ministre français) in Fifth Republic is the functional Head of the government and Council of Ministers See also Government of France The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing (born 2 February 1926 is a French centre - right politician who was President of the French Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer (20 March 1916 29 August 2007 was a French Gaullist politician Raymond Octave Joseph Barre (12 April 1924 25 August 2007 was a French Centre-right Politician and Economist. The Minister of the Interior (full title Ministre de l’Intérieur et de l’Aménagement du Territoire) in France is one of the most important governmental Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer (20 March 1916 29 August 2007 was a French Gaullist politician Raymond Marcellin ( Sézanne, August 19, 1914 - September 8, 2004) was a French politician Michel Poniatowski (16 May 1922 in Paris France &ndash 16 January 2002 in Opio, France Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Union of Democrats for the Republic ( French: Union des Démocrates pour la République, UDR was a Gaullist Political party of France from The Rally for the Republic ( French: Rassemblement pour la République, RPR) was a French Right-wing Political party Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chirac, born Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chodron de Courcel (born 18 May 1933) is a French politician and the former First See also Bureaucrat The term civil service has two distinct meanings Branch of governmental service in which individuals are hired on the basis Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. As President he also served as an ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra and Grand Master of the French Légion d'honneur. C D E This is a list of Co-Princes of Andorra. The Principality of Andorra, in the Pyrenees Mountains on the French – Spanish border Chirac was the second-longest serving President of France (two full terms, first seven years and second five), behind François Mitterrand. François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand ( 26 October 1916 8 January 1996 served as President of France from 1981 to 1995 elected as representative of the Socialist He and his predecessor were also the only presidents to serve two full terms in the Élysée Palace. Chirac is the only person to have served twice as Prime Minister under the Fifth Republic. See also Government of France The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on

His internal policies included lower tax rates, the removal of price controls, strong punishment for crime and terrorism, and business privatization. In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business ^[1] He has also argued for more socially responsible economic policies, and was elected in 1995 after campaigning on a platform of healing the "social rift" (fracture sociale). Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. ^[2] His economic policies, based on dirigiste, state directed ideals, stood in opposition to the laissez-faire policies of the United Kingdom, which Chirac famously described as "Anglo-Saxon ultraliberalism". Dirigisme (from the French) (in English also "dirigism" although per the OED both spellings are used is an Economic term designating an economy Laissez-faire ( pronunciation: French,; English,) is a French phrase literally meaning Let do (“allow to do” The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The word Anglosphere describes a concept of a group of Anglophone ( English -speaking nations which share historical political and cultural characteristics rooted Ultra-liberalism is a phrase used to describe political thought on the left of the United States Democratic Party. ^[3]

After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris and the École Nationale d'Administration, Chirac began his career as a high-level civil servant, and soon entered politics. The École Nationale d'Administration ( ÉNA) one of the most prestigious French schools ( Grandes écoles) was created in 1945 by Charles de Gaulle See also Bureaucrat The term civil service has two distinct meanings Branch of governmental service in which individuals are hired on the basis Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions He subsequently occupied various senior positions, including Minister of Agriculture, Prime Minister, Mayor of Paris, and finally President of France. The Minister of Agriculture Food Fishing and Rural Affairs is a cabinet member in the Government of France. The Prime Minister of France ( Premier ministre français) in Fifth Republic is the functional Head of the government and Council of Ministers Before the French Revolution, the municipality of Paris was headed by the provost of the merchants ( prévôt des marchands)

Family

Chirac, born in the Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire clinic (fifth district of Paris), is the son of Abel François Chirac (1893–1968), a company administrator, and Marie-Louise Valette (1902–1973), a housewife. Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hillaire ( April 15, 1772 - June 19, 1844) was a French naturalist who established the principle Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Both families were of peasant stock - despite the fact his two grandfathers were teachers - from Sainte-Féréole in Corrèze. A peasant is an agricultural worker who subsists by working a small plot of ground Sainte-Féréole is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France. Corrèze ( Occitan: Corresa) is a department in south central France, named after the Corrèze River. According to Chirac, his name "originates from the langue d'oc, that of the troubadours, therefore that of poetry". Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan He is a Roman Catholic.

Chirac was an only child (his elder sister, Jacqueline, died in infancy before his birth), and was educated in Paris at the Lycée Carnot and at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city The Lycée Carnot is a public secondary and Higher education school located at 145 Boulevard Malesherbes in Paris, France, in the The Lycée Louis-le-Grand (sometimes nicknamed LLG) is a public Secondary school located in Paris, widely regarded as one of the most demanding in After his baccalauréat, he did a three month stint as a sailor on a coal-transporting ship. The baccalauréat (bakaloʁeˈa often known in France colloquially as le bac or le bachôt, is an academic qualification which

In 1956, he married Bernadette Chodron de Courcel, with whom he later had two daughters; Laurence (born March 4, 1958) and Claude (January 14, 1962). Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chirac, born Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chodron de Courcel (born 18 May 1933) is a French politician and the former First Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Claude Chirac has long worked as a public relations assistant and personal adviser,^[4] while Laurence, who suffered from anorexia nervosa in her youth, does not participate in the political activities of her father. Public relations (PR is the practice of managing the flow of Information between an Organization and its Publics Public relations - often referred Anorexia Nervosa is a psychiatric Diagnosis that describes an Eating disorder characterized by low Body weight and Body image distortion ^[5] Chirac is the grandfather of Martin Rey-Chirac by the relationship of Claude with French judoka Thierry Rey. meaning "gentle way" is a modern Japanese martial art ( Gendai budō) and Combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late

Jacques and Bernadette Chirac have also a foster daughter, Anh Dao Traxel. Anh Dao Traxel ( Vietnamese spelling: Anh Đào Traxel, born Dương Anh Đào (c

Early political career (1950s–1973)

Inspired by General Charles de Gaulle to enter public life, Chirac continued pursuing a civil service career in the 1950s. Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ( 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French General and statesman who led the Free French During this period, he joined the French Communist Party. The French Communist Party ( French: Parti communiste français or PCF) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of He sold copies of L'Humanité, and took part in meetings of a communist cell. L'Humanité ("Humanity" formerly the daily newspaper of the French Communist Party (PCF was founded in 1904 by Jean Jaurès, a leader of the ^[6] In 1950, he signed the Soviet-inspired Stockholm Appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons–enough for him to be questioned when he applied for his first visa to the United States. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 March 1950 The World Peace Council releases the Stockholm Appeal calling for an absolute ban on nuclear weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[7] In 1953, after graduating from Sciences Po, he attended Harvard University's summer school before entering the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA), the elite, competitive-entrance college that trains France's top civil servants, in 1957. The École Nationale d'Administration ( ÉNA) one of the most prestigious French schools ( Grandes écoles) was created in 1945 by Charles de Gaulle

Chirac trained as a reserve officer in armoured cavalry at Saumur, from which he was ranked first among his year's students. Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of Armoured fighting vehicles in Modern warfare. Saumur is a town and commune in the Maine-et-Loire département of France on the Loire River at, with an approximate ^[8] He then volunteered for fighting in the Algerian War, using personal relations to be sent there despite the reservations of his superiors, who suspected him of Communism and did not want to make him an officer. The Algerian War ( French: Guerre d'Algérie; 1954-1962 also known as Algerian War of Independence, led to Algeria 's independence from ^[9]

After leaving ENA in 1959, he became a civil servant in the prestigious Court of Auditors and rose rapidly through the ranks. As early as April 1962, Chirac was appointed head of the personal staff of Prime Minister Georges Pompidou. Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou (5 July 1911 2 April 1974 was President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974 This appointment launched Chirac's political career.

Pompidou considered Chirac his protégé and referred to him as "my bulldozer" for his skill at getting things done. The nickname "Le Bulldozer" caught on in French political circles. Chirac still maintains this reputation. In 1995 an anonymous British diplomat said Chirac "cuts through the crap and comes straight to the point. . . It's refreshing, although you have to put your seat belt on when you work with him". At Pompidou's suggestion, Chirac ran as a Gaullist for a seat in the National Assembly in 1967. Gaullism (Gaullisme is a French political ideology based on the thought and action of Charles de Gaulle. The French National Assembly. The other is the Senate ( “Sénat”) He was elected deputy for Corrèze département, the place of his family's origin but a stronghold of the left. Corrèze ( Occitan: Corresa) is a department in south central France, named after the Corrèze River. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division This surprising victory in the context of a Gaullist ebb permitted him to enter the government as state secretary (vice-minister) of social affairs. Although more of a "Pompidolian" than a "Gaullist", Chirac was well-situated in de Gaulle's entourage, being related by marriage to the general's sole companion at the time of the Appeal of 18 June 1940. Gaullism (Gaullisme is a French political ideology based on the thought and action of Charles de Gaulle. The Appeal of 18th June was a famous speech by Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French Forces, in 1940

In 1968, when student and worker strikes rocked France (see May 1968), Chirac played a central role in negotiating a truce. A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country Then, as state secretary of economy (1968-1971), he had worked closely with Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, who headed the ministry of economy and finance. Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing (born 2 February 1926 is a French centre - right politician who was President of the French The young technocrat from ENA then rose to fame; Chirac was caricatured as the archetypal brilliant ENA graduate in an Asterix graphic novel. Technocracy: A form of government in which scientists and technical experts are in control "technocracy is described as that society in which those who govern justify themselves Obelix and Co is the twenty-third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories and Albert Uderzo (illustrations The Adventures of Asterix ( French: Astérix or Astérix le Gaulois) is a series of French After some months in the ministry of relations with Parliament, Chirac's first high-level post came in 1972 when he became minister of agriculture and rural development under his mentor Georges Pompidou, who had been elected president in 1969. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Chirac quickly earned a reputation as a champion of French farmers' interests. As minister of agriculture, Chirac first attracted international attention when he assailed U.S., West German, and European Commission agricultural policies that conflicted with French interests. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. On February 27, 1974, after the resignation of Raymond Marcellin, Chirac was appointed Minister of the Interior. Raymond Marcellin ( Sézanne, August 19, 1914 - September 8, 2004) was a French politician The Minister of the Interior (full title Ministre de l’Intérieur et de l’Aménagement du Territoire) in France is one of the most important governmental On March 21, 1974 the SAFARI affair (a secret database containing personal informations prepared under the responsibility of the ministry of the interior) was revealed by the newspaper Le Monde. SAFARI was an attempt by the French government under the presidency of Georges Pompidou, to create a centralized database of personal data Le Monde (The World is a From March 1974, he was entrusted by President Pompidou with preparations for the presidential election then scheduled for 1976. However, these elections were brought forward because of Pompidou's sudden death on 2 April. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of

Chirac wanted to rally Gaullists behind Prime minister Pierre Messmer, yet this was to be all in vain. Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer (20 March 1916 29 August 2007 was a French Gaullist politician Jacques Chaban-Delmas announced his candidacy, in spite of the disapproval of the "Pompidolians". Jacques Chaban-Delmas (7 March 1915&ndash10 November 2000 was a French Gaullist politician Chirac and others published the call of the 43 in favor of Giscard d'Estaing, the leader of the non-Gaullist part of the parliamentary majority. Giscard d'Estaing was elected as Pompidou's successor after France's most competitive election campaign in years. In return, the new president chose Chirac to lead the cabinet.

Prime Minister, 1974–76

When Giscard became president, he nominated Chirac as prime minister on 27 May 1974 in order to reconcile the "Giscardian" and "non-Giscardian" factions of the parliamentary majority. Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing (born 2 February 1926 is a French centre - right politician who was President of the French The Prime Minister of France ( Premier ministre français) in Fifth Republic is the functional Head of the government and Council of Ministers Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. At the relatively young age of 41, Chirac stood out as the very model of the jeunes loups ("young wolves") of French political life. But he was faced with the hostility of the "Barons of Gaullism" who considered him a traitor for his role during the previous presidential campaign. In December 1974, he took the lead of the Gaullist party Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR) against the will of its more senior personalities. In France, the Gaullist Party is usually used to refer to the largest party professing to be Gaullist.

As prime minister, Chirac quickly set about persuading the Gaullists that, despite the social reforms proposed by President Giscard, the basic tenets of Gaullism, such as national and European independence, would be retained.

Chirac was advised by Pierre Juillet and Marie-France Garaud, two former advisers of Pompidou. These two organized the campaign against Chaban-Delmas in 1974. They advocated a clash with Giscard d'Estaing because they thought his policy bewildered the conservative electorate. Citing Giscard's unwillingness to give him authority, Chirac resigned as Prime Minister in 1976. He proceeded to build up his political base among France's several conservative parties, with a goal of reconstituting the Gaullist UDR into a neo-Gaullist group, the Rally for the Republic (RPR). In France, the Gaullist Party is usually used to refer to the largest party professing to be Gaullist.

Osirak Controversy

In December 1974, Saddam Hussein (then vice-president of Iraq, but de facto dictator) invited Chirac to Baghdad for an official visit. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( Arabic: ar صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي --> April 28 1937 &ndash December 30 __FORCETOC__ For the Vice President of the United States, their roles and other information see Vice President of the United States. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Chirac accepted and visited Iraq in 1975. Saddam Hussein approved a deal granting French oil companies a number of privileges plus a 23 per cent share of Iraqi oil. ^[10] In a declaration on September 5, 1974, Chirac said about Saddam Hussein:

As part of this deal, France sold Iraq the Osirak MTR nuclear reactor, a type designed to test nuclear materials. Osirak, also spelled Osiraq, (French Osirak Iraqi Tammuz 1 was a 40 MW light-water nuclear materials testing reactor (MTR in This article is a subarticle of Nuclear power. A nuclear reactor is a device in which Nuclear chain reactions are initiated controlled The Israeli Air Force later bombed the Osirak reactor, provoking considerable anger from French officials and the United Nations Security Council. The Israeli Air Force ( IAF; Hebrew: זרוע האויר והחלל Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, "Air and Space Arm" commonly known as חיל The facility's intended use as a basis for nuclear weapons was confirmed after the 1991 Gulf War. ^[12]

Mayor of Paris (1977−1995)

After his departure from the cabinet, Chirac wanted to take the leadership over the right in order to gain the presidency. The RPR was conceived as an electoral machine against President Giscard d'Estaing. Paradoxically, Chirac benefited from Giscard's decision to create the office of mayor in Paris, which had been in abeyance since the 1871 Commune, because the leaders of the Third Republic (1871-1940) feared that having municipal control of the capital would give the mayor too much power. The Paris Commune (La Commune de Paris was a Government that briefly ruled Paris from 18 March (more formally from 26 March) to 28 May The French Third Republic (in French, La Troisième République, sometimes written as La IIIe In 1977, Chirac stood as candidate against Michel d'Ornano, a close friend of the president, and he won. As mayor of Paris, Chirac's political influence grew. He held this post until 1995.

Chirac supporters point out that, as mayor, he provided programs to help the elderly, people with disabilities, and single mothers, while providing incentives for businesses to stay in Paris. His opponents contend that he installed clientelist policies, and favored office buildings at the expense of housing, driving rents high and worsening the situation of workers.

Chirac has been named in several cases of alleged corruption that occurred during his term as mayor, some of which have led to felony convictions of some politicians and aides. Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain However, a controversial judicial decision in 1999 granted him virtual immunity as president of France. He refused to testify on these matters, arguing that it would be incompatible with his presidential functions. Investigations concerning the running of Paris's city hall, the number of whose municipal employees jumped by 25% from 1977 to 1995 (with 2000 out of approximatively 35000 coming from the Corrèze region where Chirac held his seat as deputy), as well as a lack of transparency concerning accounts of public sales (marchés publics) or of the communal debt, have been thwarted by the legal impossibility of questioning him as president. Corrèze ( Occitan: Corresa) is a department in south central France, named after the Corrèze River. The conditions of the privatisation of the Parisian water network, acquired very cheaply by the Générale and the Lyonnaise des Eaux, then directed by Jérôme Monod, a close friend of Chirac, have also been criticized. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business Furthermore, the satirical newspaper Le Canard enchaîné revealed the high amount of "food expenses" paid by the Parisian municipality (€15 million a year according to the Canard), expenses managed by Roger Romani (who allegedly destroyed all archives of the period 1978–1993 during night raids in 1999-2000). Le Canard enchaîné (French The Chained Duck) is a Satirical Newspaper published weekly in France. Thousands of people were invited each year to receptions in the Paris city hall, while many political, media and artistic personalities were hosted in private flats owned by the city (See Corruption scandals in the Paris region for further information. In the 1980s and 1990s there were in the Paris region ( Île-de-France) multiple instances of alleged and proved Political corruption cases as well as cases of abuse )^[13]

Chirac during the press conference of the closing down of the Renault factory in Vilvoorde (Belgium) in 1997 [1]. This is about the company for other uses see Renault (disambiguation. Vilvoorde ( Vilvorde in French) is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province Flemish Brabant. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those

When he left office his official immunity ended, allowing investigations on corruption allegations. ^[14]

Struggle for the right-wing leadership

In 1978, he attacked the pro-European policy of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (VGE), and made a nationalist turn with the December 1978 Call of Cochin, initiated by his counsellors Marie-France Garaud and Pierre Juillet, which had first been called by Pompidou. Pro-European is a subjective term applied to a person who supports the idea of European unification (mainly through the European Union (EU and generally supports Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing (born 2 February 1926 is a French centre - right politician who was President of the French The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation The Call of Cochin ( Appel de Cochin) is a famous Discourse published on December 6, 1978 by Jacques Chirac, former Prime Minister Hospitalized in Cochin hospital after a crash, he then declared that "as always about the drooping of France, the pro-foreign party acts with its peaceable and reassuring voice". Furthermore, he appointed Ivan Blot, an intellectual who would join later, for some time, the National Front, as director of his campaigns for the 1979 European election. The National Front ( FN, Front national is a French Far right, Nationalist Political party, founded in 1972 by Jean-Marie The 1979 European elections were parliamentary Elections held across all then-9 European Community member states. ^[15] After the poor results of the election, Chirac broke with Garaud and Juillet. Nevertheless, the already-established rivalry with Giscard d'Estaing became even more intense. Although it has been often interpreted by historians as the struggle between two rivals French right-wing family, the Bonapartist one, represented by Chirac, and the Orleanist one, represented by VGE, both figures in fact were member of the Liberal, Orleanist tradition, according to historian Alain-Gérard Slama. In French political history Bonapartism has two meanings In a strict sense this term refers to people who The Orléanists were a French Right-wing / Center-right Political faction or party which arose out of the French Revolution Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal ^[15] But the eviction of the Gaullist Barons and of President VGE convinced Chirac to assume a strong neo-Gaullist stance.

Chirac made his first run for president against Giscard d'Estaing in the 1981 election, thus splitting the centre-right vote. The French presidential election of 1981 was won by François Mitterrand, the first Socialist President of the Fifth Republic. He was eliminated in the first round (18%) then, he reluctantly supported Giscard in the second round. He refused to give instructions to the RPR voters but said that he supported the incumbent president "in a private capacity," which was almost like a de facto support of the Socialist Party's (PS) candidate, François Mitterrand, who was elected by a broad majority. The Socialist Party ( Parti Socialiste, PS is the largest left-wing political party in France. François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand ( 26 October 1916 8 January 1996 served as President of France from 1981 to 1995 elected as representative of the Socialist

Giscard has always blamed Chirac for his defeat. He was told by Mitterrand, before his death, that the latter had dined with Chirac before the election. Chirac told the Socialist candidate that he wanted to "get rid of Giscard". In his memoirs, Giscard wrote that between the two rounds, he phoned the RPR headquarters. He passed himself off as a right-wing voter by changing his voice. The RPR employee advised him "certainly do not vote Giscard!". After 1981, the relationship between the two men became somewhat tense, with Giscard, even though he was in the same government coalition as Chirac, taking opportunities to criticize Chirac's actions.

After the May 1981 presidential election, the right also lost the same year the legislative election. French legislative elections took place on June 14 and 21 1981 to elect the 7th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. However, Giscard being knocked out, Chirac appeared as the leader of the right-wing opposition. Due to his protest against the economic policy of the Socialist government, he progressively aligned himself with the prevailing liberal opinions, even if these did not correspond with the Gaullist doctrine. While the far-right National Front grew, taking in particular advantage of a proportional representation electoral law, he signed an electoral platform with the Giscardian (and more or less Christian Democrat) party Union for French Democracy (UDF). Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes The Union for French Democracy ( Union pour la Démocratie Française, UDF was a French centrist Political party.

First "Cohabitation" (1986–1988) and "desert crossing"

When the RPR/UDF right-wing coalition won a slight majority in the National Assembly in the 1986 election, Mitterrand (PS) appointed Chirac prime minister (though many in Mitterrand's inner circle lobbied him to choose Jacques Chaban-Delmas instead). The French legislative elections took place on March 16 1986 to elect the 8th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. Jacques Chaban-Delmas (7 March 1915&ndash10 November 2000 was a French Gaullist politician This inedit power-sharing arrangement, known as cohabitation, gave Chirac the lead in domestic affairs. Cohabitation in government occurs in Semi-presidential systems such as France 's system when the President is from a different Political party However, it is generally conceded that Mitterrand used the areas granted to the President of the Republic, or "reserved domains" of the Presidency, defence and foreign affairs, to belittle his Prime Minister.

Chirac's Second Ministry

(March 20, 1986–May 12, 1988)

• Jacques Chirac - Prime Minister
• Jean-Bernard Raimond - Minister of Foreign Affairs
• André Giraud - Minister of Defence
• Charles Pasqua - Minister of the Interior
• Édouard Balladur - Minister of Economy, Finance, and Privatization
• Alain Madelin - Minister of Industry, Tourism, Posts, and Telecommunications
• Philippe Séguin - Minister of Employment and Social Affairs
• Albin Chalandon - Minister of Justice
• René Monory - Minister of National Education
• François Léotard - Minister of Culture and Communications
• François Guillaume - Minister of Agriculture
• Bernard Pons - Minister of Overseas Departments and Territories
• Pierre Méhaignerie - Minister of Housing, Equipment, Regional Planning, and Transport
• André Rossinot - Minister of Relations with Parliament
• Michel Aurillac - Minister of Cooperation

Chirac's cabinet sold a lot of public companies, renewing with the liberalization initiated under Laurent Fabius's Socialist government (1984-86 - in particular with Fabius' privatization of the audiovisual sector, leading to the creation of Canal +), and abolished the solidarity tax on wealth (ISF), a symbolic tax on very high resources decided by Mitterrand's government. Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Jean-Bernard Raimond (born February 6, 1926 in Paris) is a conservative French politician who served as Foreign Minister in the government of Charles Pasqua (born 18 April 1927, Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes) is a French Businessman and Gaullist Politician Édouard Balladur (born 2 May 1929 is a French right-wing Politician. Alain Madelin (born March 26, 1946) is a French Politician and a former minister of that country Philippe Séguin OQ (born April 21, 1943) is a former French Politician, and is now first president of France's Cour René Monory (born June 6, 1923, in Loudun) is a French Centre-right Politician. François Gerard Marie Léotard (born March 26, 1942, Cannes) is a retired French politician Pierre Méhaignerie (born on May 4, 1939, in Balazé, Ille-et-Vilaine) is a French Politician. In general liberalization (or liberalisation) refers to a relaxation of previous government restrictions usually in areas of social or economic policy Laurent Fabius (born 20 August 1946 is a former Socialist Prime Minister of France. The solidarity tax on wealth (in French L'impôt de solidarité sur la fortune or ISF) is a French annual direct Wealth tax Elsewhere, the plan for university reform (plan Devaquet) caused a crisis in 1986 when a young man named Malik Oussekine was killed by the police, leading to huge demonstrations and the proposal's withdrawal. It has been said during other estudiantine crisis that this event strongly affected Jacques Chirac, hereafter careful about possible police violence during such demonstrations (i. Police brutality is the world wide use of excessive force usually physical but potentially also in the form verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by e. maybe explaining part of the decision to "promulgate without applying" the First Employment Contract (CPE) after large students demonstrations against it). The contrat première embauche ( CPE) translated first employment contract, was a new form of employment contract pushed in spring 2006 in France The 2006 youth protests in France occurred throughout France during February, March, and April 2006 as a result of opposition to a measure

One of his first act concerning foreign policies was to call back to affairs Jacques Foccart (1913-1997), who had been de Gaulle's and his successors' leading counsellor for African matters, called by journalist Stephen Smith the "father of all "networks" on the continent, at the time [in 1986] aged 72. Jacques Foccart ( 31 August 1913 – 19 March 1997) was French President Charles de Gaulle 's and then Georges Pompidou 's Stephen Smith, Steve Smith, or Steven Smith may refer to In sports: Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers, (b "^[16] Jacques Foccart, who had also co-founded the Gaullist Service d'Action Civique (SAC, dissolved by Mitterrand in 1982) along with Charles Pasqua, and who was a key component of the "Françafrique" system, was again called to the Elysée Palace when Chirac won the 1995 presidential election. The SAC (Service d'Action Civique or Civic Action Service) officially created in January 1960 was a Gaullist militia founded by Jacques Foccart, Françafrique is a term that refers to France 's relationship with Africa.

Furthermore, confronted to anti-colonialist movements in New Caledonia, Prime minister Chirac ordered a military intervention against the separatists in the Ouvéa cave, leading to several tragic deaths. Anti-imperialism, strictly speaking is a term that may be applied to or movement opposed to some form of Imperialism. For the former North American fur-trading district see New Caledonia (Canada, and for the Scottish colony in Panama see Darien scheme.

He allegedly refused any alliance with the National Front, the far-right party of Jean-Marie Le Pen. Jean-Marie Le Pen (born June 20, 1928, La Trinité-sur-Mer, Brittany, France) is a French far-right Nationalist ^[17]

1988 presidential elections and afterwards

Chirac sought the presidency and ran against Mitterrand for a second time in the 1988 election. Presidential elections were held in France on 24 April and 8 May 1988 He obtained 20 percent of the vote in the first round, but lost the second with only 46 percent. He resigned from the cabinet and the right lost the next legislative election. French legislative elections took place on June 5 and 12 1988 to elect the 9th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, one month after the re-election of François

For the first time, his leadership over the RPR was challenged. Charles Pasqua and Philippe Séguin criticized his abandonment of Gaullist doctrines. Charles Pasqua (born 18 April 1927, Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes) is a French Businessman and Gaullist Politician Philippe Séguin OQ (born April 21, 1943) is a former French Politician, and is now first president of France's Cour On the right, a new generation of politicians, the "renovation men", accused Chirac and Giscard of being responsible for the electoral defeats. In 1992, convinced a man could not became President in advocating anti-European policies, he called to vote "yes" in the referendum on Maastricht Treaty, against the opinion of Pasqua, Séguin and a majority of the RPR voters, who chosen the "no". The Maastricht Treaty (formally the Treaty on European Union, TEU) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final

While he still was mayor of Paris (since 1977), Chirac went to Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) where he supported President Houphouët-Boigny (1960-1993), although the latter was being called a "thief" by the local population. Abidjan is the largest city and former Capital of Côte d'Ivoire ( Ivory Coast) Chirac then declared that multipartism was a "kind of luxury. "^[16]

Nevertheless, the right won the 1993 legislative election. French legislative elections took place on March 21 and 28 1993 to elect the 10th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. Chirac announced that he did not want to come back as prime minister, suggesting the appointment of Edouard Balladur, who had promised that he would not run for the presidency against Chirac in 1995. Édouard Balladur (born 2 May 1929 is a French right-wing Politician. However, benefiting from positive polls, Balladur decided to be a presidential candidate, with the support of a majority of right-wing politicians. Chirac broke at that time with a number of friends and allies, including Charles Pasqua, Nicolas Sarkozy, etc. Nicolas Sarkozy (pronounced, , who supported Balladur's candidacy. A small group of "fidels" would remain with him, including Alain Juppé and Jean-Louis Debré. Alain Marie Juppé (born 15 August 1945 is a French right-wing politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997 under President Jacques Chirac Jean-Louis Debré (born 30 September 1944) is a conservative French political figure When Nicolas Sarkozy became President in 2007, Juppé was one of the only "chiraquiens" to serve in François Fillon's government.

First term as president (1995–2002)

Jacques Chirac with Bill Clinton outside Élysée Palace. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States

Chirac (left) with Alexander Lukashenko (right) in 1996. Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (Аляксандр Рыгоравіч Лукашэнка Aljaksandar Ryhoravič Lukašenka/Alyaksandar Ryhoravich Lukashenka; Александр

During the 1995 presidential campaign Chirac criticized the "sole thought" (pensée unique) represented by his challenger on the right and promised to reduce the "social fracture," placing himself more to the center and thus forcing Balladur to radicalize himself. Presidential elections took place in France on 23 April and 7 May 1995 to elect the fifth president of the Fifth Republic. The expression " pensée unique " ( French for "single thought" describes the claimed supremacy of Neoliberalism as an Ideology. Ultimately, he obtained more votes than Balladur in the first round (20. 8 percent), and then defeated the Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin in the second round (52. The Socialist Party ( Parti Socialiste, PS is the largest left-wing political party in France. Lionel Jospin (born 12 July 1937 is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France, during the third " cohabitation " 6 percent).

Chirac was elected on a platform of tax cuts and job programs, but his policies did little to ease the labor strikes during his first months in office. On the domestic front, neo-liberal economic austerity measures introduced by Chirac and his conservative prime minister Alain Juppé, including budgetary cutbacks, proved highly unpopular. Alain Marie Juppé (born 15 August 1945 is a French right-wing politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997 under President Jacques Chirac At about the same time, it became apparent that Juppé and others had obtained preferential conditions for public housing, as well as other perks. At the year's end Chirac faced major workers' strikes which turned itself, in November-December 1995, in a general strike, one of the largest since May 1968. The 1995 strikes in France were a series of General strikes in France, mostly in the Public sector in late 1995 Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country The demonstrations were largely pitted against Juppé's plan on the reform of pensions, and led to the dismissal of the latter.

Shortly after taking office, Chirac – undaunted by international protests by environmental groups – insisted upon the resumption of nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia in 1995, a few months before signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. France is one of the five "Nuclear Weapons States" under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but is not known to possess or develop any chemical or French Polynesia ( French: Polynésie française, Tahitian: Pōrīnetia Farāni) is a French Overseas collectivity in the The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT bans all nuclear explosions in all environments for military or civilian purposes ^[18]Reacting to criticism, Chirac said, "You only have to look back at 1935. . . There were people then who were against France arming itself, and look what happened. " On February 1, 1996, Chirac announced that France had ended "once and for all" its nuclear testing, intending to accede to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT bans all nuclear explosions in all environments for military or civilian purposes

Elected as President of the Republic, he refused to discuss the existence of French military bases in Africa, despite requests by the Ministry of Defense and the Quai d'Orsay (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). For the Cuban cigar brand see Quai d'Orsay (cigar brand. The Quai d'Orsay is a Quai in the VIIe arrondissement ^[16] French Army thus remained in Côte d'Ivoire as well as in Omar Bongo's Gabon. El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba (born Albert-Bernard Bongo on 30 December 1935) became President of Gabon in 1967 Gabon (gəˈbɒn or /gaˈbõ/ in French) is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Republic

In 1997, Chirac dissolved parliament for early legislative elections in a gamble designed to bolster support for his conservative economic program. But instead, it created an uproar, and his power was weakened by the subsequent backlash. The Socialist Party (PS), joined by other parties on the left, soundly defeated Chirac's conservative allies, forcing Chirac into a new period of cohabitation with Jospin as prime minister (1997-2002), which lasted five years. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Cohabitation in government occurs in Semi-presidential systems such as France 's system when the President is from a different Political party

Cohabitation significantly weakened the power of Chirac's presidency. The French president, by a constitutional convention, only controls foreign and military policy— and even then, allocation of funding is under the control of Parliament and under the significant influence of the prime minister. Alternative meaning Constitutional convention (political meeting A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is Short of dissolving parliament and calling for new elections, the president was left with little power to influence public policy regarding crime, the economy, and public services. Chirac seized the occasion to periodically criticize Jospin's government.

Nevertheless, his position was weakened by scandals about the financing of RPR by Paris municipality. In the 1980s and 1990s there were in the Paris region ( Île-de-France) multiple instances of alleged and proved Political corruption cases as well as cases of abuse In 2001, the left, represented by Bertrand Delanoë (PS), won over the majority in the town council of the capital. Bertrand Delanoë (born 30 May 1950) /bɛʁtʁɑ̃ dəlanɔe/ ( is a French Politician, and has been the mayor of Paris Jean Tiberi, Chirac's successor at the Paris townhall, was forced to resign after having been put under investigations in June 1999 on charges of trafic d'influences in the HLMs of Paris affairs (related to the illegal financing of the RPR). Jean Tiberi (born January 30, 1935) is a French Politician who was mayor of Paris from May 22, 1995 to June 1999 was a month with thirty days The following events also occurred during the month Tiberi was finally expelled from the RPR, Chirac's party, on October 12, 2000, declaring to the Figaro magazine on November 18, 2000: "Jacques Chirac is not my friend anymore. The Rally for the Republic ( French: Rassemblement pour la République, RPR) was a French Right-wing Political party Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Le Figaro is one of the leading French morning daily Newspapers Its editorial line is conservative and has generally been supportive of Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ^[19]" After the publication of the Méry video-tape by Le Monde on September 22, 2000, in which Jean-Claude Méry, in charge of the RPR's financing, directly accused Chirac of organizing the network, and of having been physically present on October 5, 1986, when Méry gave in cash 5 millions Francs, which came from companies who had benefited from state deals, to Michel Roussin, personal secretary (directeur de cabinet) of Chirac,^[20][21] Chirac refused to follow up his summons by judge Eric Halphen, and the highest echelons of the French justice declared that he could not been inculpated while in functions. Le Monde (The World is a Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Origins The franc was originally a French Gold coin of 387 g minted in 1360 on the occasion of the release of King John II ("the good", held by the Michel Roussin (May 3 1939 Rabat, Morocco) was the chief of staff of Alexandre de Marenches, who directed the SDECE French secret service until Éric Halphen is a French judge best known as the Investigating magistrate in the Parisian low-cost housing scandals of the 1990s

During his two terms, he increased the Elysee Palace's total budget by 105 percent (currently €90 million, whereas 20 years ago it was the equivalent of €43. The euro sign (€ is the Currency sign used for the Euro, the official currency of the European Union (EU 7 million). He doubled the number of presidential cars - nowadays there are 61 cars and seven scooters in the Palace's garage. He has hired 145 extra employees - the total number of the people he employed simultaneously was 963. He has spent €1 million per year on drinks purchased for guests visiting the Palace.

Defense policy

As the Supreme Commander of the French armed forces, he has reduced the French military budget, as did his predecessor. It now accounts for three percent of GDP. ^[22] In 1998 the aircraft carrier Clemenceau was decommissioned after 37 years of service, and another aircraft carrier was decommissioned two years later after 37 years of service, leaving the French Navy with no aircraft carrier until 2001, when Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier was commissioned. Development Construction The carrier replaced ''Foch'', a conventionally-powered aircraft carrier in 2001 ^[23] He has also reduced expenditures on nuclear weapons^[24] and the French nuclear arsenal now includes 350 warheads, which can be compared to the Russian nuclear arsenal that consists of 16000 warheads. ^[25] He has also published a plan which assumes reducing the number of fighters the French military has by 30. ^[26]

Second term as president (2002–2007)

Main article: Jacques Chirac's second term as President of France

Chirac with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Gerhard Schröder. At age 69 Jacques Chirac faced his fourth campaign for the French Presidency in 2002 José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (born 4 August 1960 better known by his maternal surname Zapatero (literally "shoemaker" in Spanish is the current ˌɡeɐ̯haɐ̯t fʁɪʦ kʊɐ̯t ˈʃʁøːdɐ (born 7 April 1944 German politician, was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005

At the age of 69, Chirac faced his fourth presidential campaign in 2002. He was the first choice of fewer than one in five voters in the first round of voting of the presidential elections in April 2002. The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002 and a runoff election between the top two candidates ( Jacques Chirac and April 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September It had been expected that he would face incumbent prime minister Lionel Jospin (PS) in the second round of elections; instead, Chirac faced controversial far right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen of National Front (FN), and so won re-election by a landslide (82 percent); all parties outside the National Front (except for Lutte ouvrière) had called for opposing Le Pen, even if it meant voting for Chirac. Lionel Jospin (born 12 July 1937 is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France, during the third " cohabitation " Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group Jean-Marie Le Pen (born June 20, 1928, La Trinité-sur-Mer, Brittany, France) is a French far-right Nationalist The National Front ( FN, Front national is a French Far right, Nationalist Political party, founded in 1972 by Jean-Marie Workers' Struggle ( Lutte Ouvrière) is the usual name under which the Communist Union ( Union Communiste) (Trotskyist a French Trotskyist Slogans such as "vote for the crook, not for the fascist" or "vote with a clothespin on your nose" appeared, while huge demonstrations marked the period between the two electoral rounds in all of France.

Unpopularity

Chirac became increasingly unpopular during his second term. According to a July 2005 poll,^[27] 32 percent judged Chirac favorably and 63 percent unfavorably. In 2006, The Economist wrote that Chirac "is the most unpopular occupant of the Elysée Palace in the fifth republic's history. The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London "^[28]

Early term

As the left-wing Socialist Party was in thorough disarray following Jospin's defeat, Chirac reorganized politics on the right, establishing a new party — initially called the Union of the Presidential Majority, then the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities The RPR had broken down; A number of members had formed Eurosceptic breakaways. Euroscepticism Euro (disambiguation --> has become a general term for opposition to the process While the Giscardian liberals of the Union of French Democracy (UDF) had moved to the right. The Union for French Democracy ( Union pour la Démocratie Française, UDF was a French centrist Political party. ^[29] The UMP won the parliamentary elections that followed the presidential poll with ease. The French legislative elections took place on June 9 and June 16, 2002 to elect the 12th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic,

During an official visit to Madagascar on 21 July 2005, Chirac described the repression of the 1947 Malagasy uprising, which left between 80,000 and 90,000 dead, as "unacceptable". Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern The Malagasy Uprising (or Revolt of Madagascar was an attempted revolution against the French by nationalists on the island of Madagascar between 1947

Despite past opposition to state intervention the Chirac government approved a 2. 8 billion euro aid package to troubled manufacturing giant Alstom. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e Alstom ( is a large French multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and Transport markets ^[30] In October 2004, Chirac signed a trade agreement with PRC President Hu Jintao where Alstom was given one billion euro in contracts and promises of future investment in China. October 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - A trade pact is a wide ranging Tax tariff and trade pact that often includes Investment guarantees Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National ^[31]

Assassination attempt

While Jacques Chirac was reviewing troops in a motorcade such as this one on Bastille Day 2002, he was shot at by a bystander.

On July 14, 2002, during Bastille Day celebrations, Chirac survived an assassination attempt by a lone gunman with a rifle hidden in a guitar case. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year. AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media. The would-be assassin fired a shot toward the presidential motorcade, before being overpowered by bystanders. A motorcade is a procession of vehicles used to transport a Very important person, usually a political figure ^[32] The gunman, Maxime Brunerie, underwent psychiatric testing; the violent far-right group with which he was associated, Unité Radicale, was then administratively dissolved. Maxime Brunerie (born 21 May 1977) is a man who attempted to assassinate French President Jacques Chirac on July 14, Unité Radicale was a French far-right political group close to the Third Position and National Bolshevism thesis

2005 referendum on the TCE

Further information: Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe

On May 29, 2005, a referendum was held in France to decide whether the country should ratify the proposed treaty for a Constitution of the European Union (TCE). The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE commonly referred to as the European Constitution, was an unimplemented international Treaty intended Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE commonly referred to as the European Constitution, was an unimplemented international Treaty intended The result was a victory for the No campaign, with 55 percent of voters rejecting the treaty on a turnout of 69 percent, dealing a devastating blow to Chirac and the UMP party, as well as to part of the center-left which had supported the TCE.

Foreign policy

Jacques Chirac with George W. Bush. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Chirac praised the capturing of Saddam but took a position against the war.

Along with Gerhard Schröder, Chirac emerged as a leading voice against the Bush administration's conduct towards Iraq. ˌɡeɐ̯haɐ̯t fʁɪʦ kʊɐ̯t ˈʃʁøːdɐ (born 7 April 1944 German politician, was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005 The Presidency of George W Bush began on his inauguration on January 20, 2001 as the 43rd and current President of the United States of America The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign Despite intense US pressure, Chirac threatened to veto, at that given point, a resolution in the UN Security Council that would authorize the use of military force to rid Iraq of alleged weapons of mass destruction, and rallied other governments to his position. A veto, Latin for "I forbid" is used to Denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of Legislation. A weapon of mass destruction ( WMD) is a weapon which can kill large numbers of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures (e "Iraq today does not represent an immediate threat that justifies an immediate war," Chirac said on March 18, 2003. Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Chirac was then the target of various American and British commentators supporting the decisions of Bush and Tony Blair. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Current Prime minister Dominique de Villepin acquired much of his popularity for his speech against the war at the United Nations (UN). Dominique de Villepin (born Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (dɔminik də vilpɛ̃ &mdash) on 14 November 1953 in Rabat, Morocco The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security However, following controversies concerning the CIA's black sites and extraordinary rendition program, the press revealed that French special services had cooperated with Washington in the same time that Villepin was countering US foreign policy at the UN headquarters in New York. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The foreign policy of the United States is highly influential on the world stage as it is a Superpower.

After Togo's leader Gnassingbé Eyadéma's death on February 5, 2005, Chirac gave him tribute and supported his son, Faure Gnassingbé, who has since succeeded to his father. TOGO was a Japanese roller coaster design company famous for inventing the Stand-up roller coaster. General Gnassingbé Eyadéma, formerly Étienne Eyadéma ( December 26, 1937 – February 5 2005) was the President of Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé (born June 6, 1966) has been the President of Togo since May 4, 2005; he was previously ^[16]

On January 19, 2006, Chirac said that France was prepared to launch a nuclear strike against any country that sponsors a terrorist attack against French interests. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The following is a timeline of acts and failed attempts that can be considered non-state Terrorism. He said his country's nuclear arsenal had been reconfigured to include the ability to make a tactical strike in retaliation for terrorism. The force de frappe (literally Strike Force; meant for dissuasion, i ^[33]

Chirac and George W. Bush during the 27th G8 summit, July 21, 2001. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The 27th G8 summit took place in Genoa, Italy, in July 2001. The summit was overshadowed by riots in the city after a crackdown by police targeting Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.

In July 2006, the G8 met to discuss international energy concerns. July 2006 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month Despite the rising awareness of global warming issues, the G8 focuses on "energy security" issues. Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the Access to cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies Chirac continues to be the voice within the G8 summit meetings to support international action to curb global warming and climate change concerns. Climate change is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences Chirac warns that "humanity is dancing on a volcano" and calls for serious action by the world's leading industrialised nations. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the ^[34]

2005 civil unrest and CPE protests

Further information: 2005 civil unrest in France  and 2006 labour protests in France

Following major students protests in spring 2006, which succeeded to civil unrest in autumn 2005 following the death of two young boys in Clichy-sous-Bois, one of the poorest French commune located in Paris' suburbs, Chirac retracted the proposed First Employment Contract (CPE) by "promulgating [it] without applying it," an unheard-of — and, some claim, illegal — move destined to appease the protests while giving the appearance not to retract himself, and therefore to continue his support towards his Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. The 2005 civil unrest in France of October and November was a series of Riots and violent clashes involving mainly the burning The 2006 youth protests in France occurred throughout France during February, March, and April 2006 as a result of opposition to a measure The 2006 youth protests in France occurred throughout France during February, March, and April 2006 as a result of opposition to a measure The 2005 civil unrest in France of October and November was a series of Riots and violent clashes involving mainly the burning For other places with the same name see Clichy. Clichy-sous-Bois (formerly Clichy-en-Aulnois) is a commune in the The contrat première embauche ( CPE) translated first employment contract, was a new form of employment contract pushed in spring 2006 in France Dominique de Villepin (born Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (dɔminik də vilpɛ̃ &mdash) on 14 November 1953 in Rabat, Morocco

The Clearstream affair

Further information: Clearstream

During April and May 2006, Chirac's administration was beset by a crisis as his chosen Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, was accused of asking Philippe Rondot, a top level French spy, for a secret investigation into the latter's chief political rival, Nicolas Sarkozy, in 2004. Clearstream Banking SA (CB is the clearing division based in Luxembourg, of Deutsche Börse. Stories without links will be removed'. News stories must be in English May 2006 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month Dominique de Villepin (born Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (dɔminik də vilpɛ̃ &mdash) on 14 November 1953 in Rabat, Morocco Philippe Rondot (1936 -) is a French retired general formerly an important personality of the French intelligence Nicolas Sarkozy (pronounced, This matter has been called the second Clearstream Affair. Clearstream Banking SA (CB is the clearing division based in Luxembourg, of Deutsche Börse. On May 10, 2006, following a Cabinet meeting, Chirac made a rare television appearance to try to protect Villepin from the scandal and to debunk allegations that Chirac himself had set up a Japanese bank account containing 300 million francs in 1992 as Mayor of Paris. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[35] Chirac said that "The Republic is not a dictatorship of rumors, a dictatorship of calumny. "^[36]

Announcement of intention not to seek a third term

In a pre-recorded television broadcast aired on March 11, 2007, Jacques Chirac announced, in a widely-predicted move, that he would not choose to seek a third term as France's President. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "Serving France, and serving peace, is what I have committed my whole life to," Chirac said, adding that he would find new ways to serve France after leaving office. He did not explain the reasons for his decision. ^[37] Chirac did not, during the broadcast, endorse any of the candidates running for election, but did devote several minutes of his talk to a plea against extremist politics that was considered a thinly-disguised invocation to voters not to vote for Jean-Marie Le Pen and a recommendation to Nicolas Sarkozy not to orient his campaign so as to include themes traditionally associated with Le Pen. Jean-Marie Le Pen (born June 20, 1928, La Trinité-sur-Mer, Brittany, France) is a French far-right Nationalist Nicolas Sarkozy (pronounced, ^[38]

Life after presidency

After his presidency ended, Chirac became a lifetime member of the Constitutional Council of France. The Constitutional Council ( Conseil Constitutionnel) was established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958 He sat for the first time in the Council on November 15, 2007, six months after leaving the French Presidency. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Immediately after Sarkozy's victory, Chirac moved into a 180 square meters duplex on the Quai Voltaire in Paris lent to him by the family of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية During the Didier Schuller affair, the latter accused Hariri of having participated to the illegal funding of the RPR's political campaigns, but the justice closed the case without further investigations. The Rally for the Republic ( French: Rassemblement pour la République, RPR) was a French Right-wing Political party ^[39] On April 11, 2008, Chirac's office announced that he had undergone successful surgery to fit a pacemaker. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common For other uses see Pacemaker (disambiguation A pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the heart's natural pacemaker

Shortly after leaving office, he founded the Jacques Chirac Foundation for Sustainable Development and Cultural Dialogue. The Jacques Chirac Foundation for Sustainable Development and Cultural Dialogue ( fr: Fondation Jacques Chirac pour le développement durable et le dialogue des cultures ^[40]

As a former President, he is entitled to a lifetime pension and personal security protection.

Impact on French popular culture

Because of Jacques Chirac's long career in visible government position, he has often been parodied or caricatured: Young Jacques Chirac is the basis of a character in an Astérix book: that of a young, dashing bureaucrat just out of the bureaucracy school, proposing methods to quell Gallic unrest to elderly, old-style Roman politicians. A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject A caricature is either a Portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness or in literature a description Obelix and Co is the twenty-third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories and Albert Uderzo (illustrations A bureaucrat is a member of a Bureaucracy, usually within an institution of the Government. He was featured in Le Bêbête Show as an overexcited, jumpy character. Le Bébête Show was a satirical Puppet show shown on French Television.

Jacques Chirac is one favorite character of Les Guignols de l'Info, a satiric latex puppet show. Les Guignols de l'info ( English: News Puppets is a satirical Latex Puppet show broadcast on A puppet is a representational figure manipulated by a Puppeteer. He was once portrayed as a rather likeable, though overexcited, character; however, following the corruption allegations, he has been shown as a kind of dilettante and incompetent who pilfers public money and lies through his teeth. His character for a while developed a super hero alter ego, Super Menteur ("Super Liar") in order to get him out of embarrassing situations. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do Because of his alleged improprieties, he was lambasted in a song Chirac en prison ("Chirac in jail") by French punk band the Wampas, with a video clip made by the Guignols. "Wampas" redirects here For the Star Wars fictional creature see Wampa.

Political offices held

• Member of the Sainte-Féréole (Corrèze) municipal council 1965-1977
• National Assembly Deputy for Corrèze (March to May 1967)
• State Secretary for Social Affairs 1967-1968
• Deputy for Corrèze (June to August 1968)
• Member of the Corrèze Conseil Général for the canton of Meymac 1968-1982
• State Secretary for the Economy and Finance 1968-1971
• President of the Corrèze Conseil Général 1970-1979
• Minister attached to the Prime Minister, with responsibility for relations with Parliament 1971-1972
• Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development 1972–1973
• Deputy for Corrèze 1973-1974
• Minister of the Interior 1974
• Prime Minister 1974-1976
• General Secretary of the Union of Democrats for the Republic 1974-1975
• Deputy for Corrèze 1976-1986
• President of Rally for the Republic 1976-1994
• Mayor of Paris 1977-1995
• Member of the European Parliament 1979-1980
• Prime Minister 1986-1988
• Deputy for Corrèze 1988-1995

Honours

• Grand-Croix de la Légion d'Honneur [2]
• Grand-Croix de l'Ordre National du Mérite
• "Croix de la Valeur Militaire"
• "Médaille de l'Aéronautique"
• Knight of the "Mérite agricole"
• Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters"
• Knight of the Dark Star (Bénin) (French Colonial Order)
• Knight of the "Mérite Sportif"
• Grand-croix du Mérite de l'Ordre Souverain de Malte
• Officier de l'Ordre national du Québec
• Codor de oro
• Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (2000) [3]
• State Prize of the Russian Federation (2007)^[41]

Titles from birth to currently

• Monsieur le Président de la République française (1995 - 2007)
• His Excellency The Sovereign Co-Prince of Andorra (1995 - 2007)

See also

• Anh Dao Traxel
• Le bruit et l'odeur
• List of national leaders
• Politics of France
• French presidential election, 1981
• French presidential election, 1988
• French presidential election, 1995
• French presidential election, 2002
• French presidential election, 2007

References

Bibliography

• Emmanuel Hecht, Thierry Vey, Chirac de A à Z, dictionnaire critique et impertinent, Éditions Albin Michel, ISBN 2-226-07664-6
• Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Le pouvoir et la vie, tome 3
• Frederic Lepage, A Table avec Chirac

External links

• Public opinion polls on Jacques Chirac
• Biography at the Official Website of the Office of the French President
• (French) TF1
• (French) l'Express
• (French) Mairie de Paris
• (French) Biography and his election (2002)
• (French) Some Jacques Chirac's quotations
• Jacques Chirac threatened to launch nuclear attack on Iran, Der Spiegel, January 19, 2006. Libération (affectionately known as Libé) is a French Daily Newspaper founded in Paris in 1973 by Jean-Paul Sartre Kommersant ( Cyrillic: Коммерса́нтъ (which literally translates as "The Businessman" is a commerce-oriented newspaper published in Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Éditions Albin Michel is a French Publisher. It was founded in 1911 by Albin Michel. Frederic Lepage is a writer and producer of several hundred TV shows and documentaries Der Spiegel (pronounced /deːɐ ˈʃpiːɡəl/ German for "The Mirror" is a German weekly Magazine, published in Hamburg Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
• Jacques Chirac - A life in pictures photo essay
• Anne Applebaum, Farewell, Jacques Chirac, The Washington Post, May 8, 2007

Current members of the Constitutional Council of France
President of the Council Jean-Louis Debré
Members Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | Jacques Chirac | Olivier Dutheillet de Lamothe Dominique Schnapper | Pierre Joxe | Pierre Steinmetz | Jacqueline de Guillenchmidt Jean-Louis Pezant | Renaud Denoix de Saint Marc | Guy Canivet
* as of 2007