Former President of the French Republic Jacques Chirac died this Thursday at the age of 86, announced his family to AFP.
« President Jacques Chirac passed away this morning among his people. Peaceful », announced his son-in-law Frédéric Salat-Baroux. The French will be able to pay tribute to him in the days that come to a place to define, he said.
This very popular right-wing Fauve, which has been a part of French politics for 40 years, died and marked the French political life of the Fifth Republic with its imprint.
He was Prime Minister between 1974 and 1976, then from 1986 to 1988, under the colors of the RPR, before being elected President of the Republic for twelve years.
Jacques Chirac had managed to conquer the Elysée, dream of a life for this unique son, in 1995 after two defeats (1981 and 1988). The former head of state was one of the great politicians of the French right whose longevity, between brilliant and stressful successes, demonstrated exceptional rebound capacity.
Jacques Chirac unquestionably marked French political life, born in Paris on 29 November 1932, his heart was in Correze, the land of his grandparents. This family land where he will learn one of his greatest political qualities: the direction of contact.
A single child, he studied in Paris before joining the Institute of Political Studies in 1951. It was during his studies that Jacques Chirac met Bernadette Chodron of Courcel, whom he married on March 16, 1956. They will have two daughters, Laurence, born in 1958 and Claude, born in 1962. The couple will also adopt Anh Dao Traxel in 1979. They also have a grandson, Martin, born in 1996.
In the early 1960s, he was appointed to the office of Prime Minister Georges Pompidou before becoming involved in politics.
At the age of 35, he was a member of parliament and Secretary of State for Social Affairs under George Pompidou in a France still under the presidency of General De Gaulle. During the 1960s, he held several local positions, such as St. Féréole’s Municipal Councilor, Member of Parliament for Correze, or General Councilor of Correze.
He was then appointed Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in 1972. During the 1974 presidential elections, he supported Valéry Giscard D’Estaing for whom he became Prime Minister the same year, before resigning from his post in August 1976 due to disagreements with government policy, he founded a new political party, the RPR (Rally for the Republic). In March 1977, he became mayor of Paris.
He then plays his own card and secretly celebrates Mitterrand’s victory:he became the natural leader of the right in 1981.The strategy seems to pay off:five years later, he co-lives as Mitterrand’s prime minister.Which will be fatal.
Described as a warm, generous man, « always attentive to others », his opponents sometimes called him « versatile. »In public opinion, however, his approval ratings remained very high.In 2015, he was the most beloved former president of the French Republic, according to a poll.Jacques Chirac then directed the campaign of his life:swept away his image, he suddenly became the fashionable candidate and realized his dream on May 17, 1995.He became the 22nd President of the Republic for twelve years.
His mandates will remain marked by his « no » to the second Iraq war, the end of military conscription, the recognition of the French state’s responsibility for Nazi crimes, the passage of the quinquennium, the call of alarm (« our house burns ») in the face of environmental degradation and a first major victory over the absurd road mortality.
By working militarily for an end to the crisis in Yugoslavia, Jacques Chirac has, from the beginning of his presidency, paid particular attention to international affairs.In particular, he is a defender of developing and Arab countries, where he is considered a « hero. »
His probably most important and memorable decision will remain his refusal in 2003 to engage France in the Iraq war with the United States.A position symbolized by the vibrant speech of his Minister Dominique de Villepin at the UN but which will earn him a « bashing » with the Americans.Guided by a certain morality, he also committed himself to humanitarian causes, in the fight against AIDS in particular, or for the environment, as he stated at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg in September 2002:« Our house burns and we look elsewhere. »
Tributes poured in as soon as the death of the 12-year-old presiding over France (1995-2007) was announced, culminating in a lifetime of power, before facing the disease for many years.
Abroad, German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised « a great partner and friend », while the President of the European Commission, Luxembourg’s Jean-Claude Juncker, considered that « today Europe is losing one of its leading figures, France is a great statesman and I am a loyal friend ».Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri greeted one of France’s « greatest men. »
Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted to the death of former French President Jacques Chirac, the Kremlin says. In a message of condolences to Jacques Chirac’s widow, Bernadette, he greets a « wise and visionary » leader. He also added that « a whole period of the modern history of France is linked to the name Chirac, » … « Russia will remember its great personal contribution to strengthening friendly relations among our states, as well as to our mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation. »
In French politics, a minute of silence was observed in the National Assembly, as well as in the Senate, where the death was announced in the sitting.
« It is a part of my life that is disappearing today, » commented Nicolas Sarkozy, his immediate successor to the Elysée Palace, expressing his « deep sadness » after Thursday’s announcement of the death of former head of state Jacques Chirac.
« He has embodied a France that is faithful to its universal values and its historical role » and « he has never ceded anything about our independence, as well as his deep European commitment », added Mr. Sarkozy in a statement, welcoming « the imposing stature and the special voice of Jacques Chirac ».
Former President François Hollande welcomed in a statement a « fighter », « a humanist » and « a man of culture » who « had been able to establish a personal link with the French ».
Former head of state Valéry Giscard expressed his « emotion » to him about the death of his prime minister. « I learned with great emotion the news of the disappearance of former President Jacques Chirac. I send a message of deep condolences to his wife and relatives, » the former head of state wrote in a short message.
« Paris is in mourning, » said Anne Hidalgo, mayor of the capital, led for 18 years by Jacques Chirac. The former head of state was one of the great Fauves of the French right. Its longevity, between brilliant and stressful successes, has demonstrated exceptional rebound capacity.
Singer and comedian Line Renaud explained that « it’s as if it was (her) brother » who disappeared, while the industrialist François Pinault, an intimate friend of the Chirac couple who expressed their « infinite sadness », spent about twenty minutes at Jacques Chirac’s last home in Paris, at 4 rue de Tournon in the 6th arrondissement.
The president of the National Rally Marine Le Pen praised the president as « capable of opposing the madness of the war in Iraq », while his father, Jean-Marie, defeated by Chirac in the second round of the presidential election in 2002, believed that « even the enemy has the right to respect ».
President Emmanuel Macron will deliver a televised address to his predecessor at 8 p.m. The head of state has given up on his trip to Rodez, where he is scheduled to launch the national pension debate later that evening.
An International Award:
・ Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor (1995)
・ Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (1974)
・ Military Value Cross
・ Aeronautics Medal
・ Knight of Agricultural Merit, Arts and Letters, Black Star, Sports Merit
・ Grand Cross of Merit of the Sovereign Order of Malta
・ Officer of the Ordre national du Québec (1987)
・ Grand Cross of the Order of Three Stars (Latvia – 1997)
・ Knight Grand Cross at the Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1999)
・ Grand Collier of the Order of Prince Henry (Portugal – 1999)
・ Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saint Olaf (Norway – 2000)
・ Collier of the Terra Mariana Cross (Estonia – 2001)
・ Collier of the Royal Order of Carlos III (Spain – 2006)
・ Russian Federation State Prize (2007)
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