Jacques Chirac

Jacques Chirac , born the November 29th 1932 in the 5 {{E}} district of Paris, is a statesman French.

It was Prime Minister of Valery Giscard d'Estaing (1974 - 1976) then, in period of Cohabitation, that of the socialist François Mitterrand (1986 - 1988). He was the 5th President of the V {{E}} République (and 22e President of the Republic) of the May 17th 1995 with the May 16th 2007. He was also the first mayor of Paris (1977-1995) after the re-establishment of this function (removed between 1871 and 1977, its predecessor was Jules Ferry). He sits at the Constitutional council of which he is member of right since the end of its second mandate of President.

Personal biography and political course

1932-1967: youth and training

Born the November 29th 1932 with the private clinic Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (V {{E}} district of Paris), Jacques Rene Chirac is the son of Abel François Chirac (1893-1968), administrator of the aeronautical company and Marie-Louise Valette (1902-1973). Both come families corréziennes, his/her two grandfathers are teachers - of Holy-Féréole, in Corrèze. According to Jacques Chirac, her name “originates in the Langue of oc, that of the troubadours, therefore that of poetry”.

The Jacques young person, high as a single child (his older sister, Jacqueline died in low-age before its birth), begins his studies at the elementary school of Holy-Féréole in Corrèze before continuing them with Paris with the college Carnot then enters to the Louis-the-Large Lycée. After its baccalaureat, it makes a three month campaign as sailor on a coal ship . It integrates in 1951 the Institut of political studies of Paris from which it is graduate in 1954. During this period, briefly, it militates in the mobility of the Communist party with in particular the future editor Christian Bourgois. It sells to Humanity street of Vaugirard, and takes part at least in a meeting of communist cell as it told. It signs in 1950 the Appel of Stockholm, against the nuclear armament, of communist inspiration (that will be worth to him to be questioned when it asks its first visa for the the United States, country for which it nourishes a real admiration); it will be thus graduate Summer school of Harvard.

Its engagement to Bernadette Chodron de Courcel is celebrated in the apartment of Chodron de Courcel, boulevard Raspail, the October 17th 1953. With the autumn 1954, it is received with ENA, before being classified eighth at the School of the Cavalry (i.e armoured tanks) of Saumur. One however refuses to him the rank of officer because of his communisant past and one needs the intervention of the relations of the family Chodron de Courcel (the general Kœnig) to obtain it. It leaves second lieutenant there cavalry. In 1954, it supports a thesis of economic Géographie to the Institut of political studies of Paris, where it had entered three years before, entitled the port of the New-Orleans , directed by the professor Jean Chardonnet.

The March 16th 1956, it marries Bernadette Chodron de Courcel, in spite of the reserves of the family of this one vis-a-vis an young man resulting from a different medium. Chodron de Courcel, all the more strict as it is about a family of false nobility, refuse a solemn marriage in the basilica Holy-Clotilde, accustomed families of the high society of the Saint-Germain suburb. The ceremony thus takes place in the vault of Jesus-Child (29 rue Las-Cases), appendix of the church, reserved then for catechism and the more intimate ceremonies. It has with it two girls, Laurence, in 1958 and Claude in 1962.

Just after its marriage, of 1956 with 1957, it carries out its Military service. As a promising graduate, it could have avoided making the Guerre of Algeria (for 18 months), but it goes voluntary and is affected 2nd Hunter of Africa (it is in station with Souk-el-Bored). It is released from its service the June 3rd 1957. Jacques Chirac explains that he became gaullist only in 1958, and that in 1947, he took his chart of the Rassemblement of French people “without knowing this made”.

Thanks to its marriage, and with its ambition, it changes social environment completely. It joined in 1957 the National school of administration in the promotion Vauban, which it leaves sixteenth in 1959, this one being detached in Algérie by Charles de Gaulle between the April 17th 1959 and April 1960. Jacques Chirac is detached as “an administrative reinforcement”, near the managing director of Agriculture in Algeria, Jacques Pélissier.

On her return in Metropolitan France, Jacques Chirac is named listener with the Court of Auditors and becomes university lecturer at the Institute of political studies. In June 1962, he becomes operations manager (for “construction, public works, and transport”) near the general secretary of the Pompidou government, then with the cabinet of the Prime Minister. One year later, it is public auditor at the Court of Auditors.

In 1965, it is elected city council man of Holy-Féréole, in Corrèze, cradle of the Chirac family, without it being presented. One year later, Georges Pompidou sends it in Corrèze to tear off the district of Ussel to the opposition. Profiting from the support of Marcel Dassault and its newspaper, conducting a baited campaign, it beats its adversary Georges Émon, of the French Communist party, of accuracy, in a bastion of the party. In this victory with torn off over a divided left, it profits from the benevolent neutrality of local glory Henri Queuille and of the irremovable mayor of Égletons, the Socialist Charles Spinasse, former minister of Leon Blum. Charles Spinasse affirms on this occasion that Jacques Chirac is a type very “Popular front”

1967 - 1976: the irresistible ministerial rise

See also: summary Amorce=Tableau, Jacques Chirac#Chronologie of the principal functions, Section chronology of the functions

Less than one month later the May 8th 1967, Jacques Chirac - called “my bulldozer” by Georges Pompidou - is named under-secretary of State to Employment, in the third government Pompidou (and will still be useful in all the successive governments, directed by Maurice Couve of Murville, Jacques Chaban-Delmas and Pierre Messmer until 1974). One of its first achievements is the creation of the National agency for employment. During May 1968, he plays a key role at the time of the Accords of Grenelle and becomes the prototype of the énarque young person shining, parodied in Astérix. At once after May 68, it is named Secretary of State to the Economy and Finances, chapeauté by the young minister Valery Giscard d'Estaing. The two men are wary one of the other while working together: Jacques Chirac is not put in the confidence of the Dévaluation of the frankly, in 1969.

In 1971 he becomes minister in charge for the relations with the Parliament, then, the July 5th 1972, he is named Minister for the Agriculture and Rural development, in the government Messmer, where he points out himself by obtaining the voices of the farmers massively. In November 1973, supported by the President, it reconsiders decisions of Valery Giscard d'Estaing, then on a journey.

In March 1974, probably following the business of listenings of the Duck connected , it “exchanges” its station with that of Raymond Marcellin, up to that point Minister of Interior Department. With died of Georges Pompidou, little time afterwards, it chooses to support Pierre Messmer, a time candidate, then Valery Giscard d'Estaing against the candidate gaullist Jacques Chaban-Delmas. It rejoins against this last 39 members of Parliament and 4 ministers, known as “Call of the 43” and contributes thus largely to the victory of Valery Giscard d'Estaing to the presidential election. It also profits from a good knowledge from the ground and town councilors acquired in less than two years to the ministry for Agriculture, and especially from its position in a “strategic” ministry where it with the upper hand on the prefects, the General informations, etc

1974 - 1976: Prime Minister of Valery Giscard d'Estaing

The May 27th 1974, because of its decisive role in its election, Valery Giscard d'Estaing names Jacques Chirac Prime Minister. It preserves the support of the Union for the defense of the Republic (which hopes only five ministers) of which it becomes the general secretary, without same of to have been member. With Matignon, it founds a slackened and studious style, while beginning an arm wrestling with the President. Both wish to control the country and have a very different character: their competition is the same one since their tensions with the ministry for Finances. Moreover, Jacques Chirac sees himself imposing by the president a great number of ministers whom he does not appreciate. It is in particular the case of Michel Poniatowski and Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, both firmly anti-gaullistes. Jacques Chirac quickly gets rid of the cofounder of the Express train on the question of the nuclear tests. “JJSS” is opposed there and the fact knowledge, which pushes it with the resignation. To replace it, Valery Giscard d'Estaing imposes on Jacques Chirac the second cofounder of the Express train in the person of Francoise Giroud, which becomes Secretary of State.

The reforms undertaken by Valery Giscard d'Estaing surprise then aggravate the gaullists. Majority at 18 years, law on the abortion, extension of the cover of social security, the “handshake” to prisoners in prison, all that is not taste of the UDR and goes against the ideals of the electorate of right-hand side. The relations are tightened between the two heads of the executive. The two personal advisers of Jacques Chirac, Pierre July and Marie-France Garaud, push it even with the rupture with Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

The January 11th 1976, the President carries out a cabinet reshuffle against the opinion of the Prime Minister, who denounces the capacity exerted by Valery Giscard d'Estaing and request a complete recasting of his policy. After a meeting with the Extremely of Brégançon, Jacques Chirac decides to resign of her station, gesture which he announces the August 25th 1976. He declares on television: “I do not have the means which I estimate today necessary to assume effectively my functions of Prime Minister and under these conditions, I decided to put an end to it”. Jacques Chirac would have affirmed with Valery Giscard d'Estaing “that he wanted to leave the political life and that he wondered about his life, and that he even spoke to assemble an art gallery”.

1976-1995: Town hall of Paris to the Elysium

1977 - 1995: the Town hall of Paris

See also: summary Amorce=Tableau, Jacques Chirac#Chronologie of the principal functions, Section chronology of the functions

After having announced its candidature for the post of Mayor of Paris (it was initially hostile with the statutory change of the City), it creates the Rassemblement for the Republic. This party gaullist takes again the bases of the UDR and Jacques Chirac becomes the president about it. The March 20th 1977, in spite of the opposition of Raymond Barre which supports Michel d' Ornano, he becomes the first mayor of Paris since Jules Ferry. The station which it obtains, lately created, is very important: fifteen billion francs of budget, 40.000 civils servant. It is also and especially an excellent electoral springboard. It is shown to have used, for the apparatus of RPR and at purely electoral ends, a certain number of means of the Parisian municipality: fictional jobs, government contracts of the building (see the businesses), expenses of mouth.

1981: 1st candidature for the presidential election

For the presidential election of 1981, Jacques Chirac makes of RPR a powerful political machine: always in the majority and more important, with 150 deputies, than the Union for the French democracy (left created in 1978 to support the action of the President), it is very critical with respect to the government. The November 26th 1978, Jacques Chirac is victim of an accident on a road of Corrèze and is transported to the hospital Cochin in Paris. From there, it launches the “Appel of Cochin” which denounces the “party from abroad”, i.e. UDF, by showing the party of Valery Giscard d'Estaing to act in the name of Europe and against the interests of France.

In 1979, it is chief candidate to the European elections, which it fails, its list collecting only 16,3% of the voices, behind the 27,6% of Simone Veil, chief candidate of UDF. European appointed elected official, it will never sit at Strasbourg, resigning of his new function, preferring his national mandates.

At the time of the presidential election, it makes countryside on the subject of the reduction of the taxes - according to the example of Ronald Reagan - and obtains 18% of the voices to the 1st turn, and is largely found outdistanced by Valery Giscard d'Estaing (28%) and François Mitterrand (26%), which gains the second turn (among the slogans of countryside, one finds the song Jacques Chirac Maintenant ). Jacques Chirac announces that “personally” he will vote for the chief of UDF. Its militants, and especially its young militants, retain the little of conviction of the message and vote massively for the candidate of the opposition. According to Valery Giscard d'Estaing, Raymond Barre and Christian Bonnet, the permanence of the RPR advises to vote for François Mitterrand between the two turns; Valery Giscard d'Estaing explains that François Mitterrand would have confirmed to him to have met Jacques Chirac at Edith Cresson on this occasion. Always according to Valery Giscard d'Estaing, strategy of Jacques Chirac being to make elect François Mitterrand then to try to obtain the majority at the Parliament once again, François Mitterrand being obliged to dissolve the room resulting from 1978. For Jacques Chirac, the presence of communist ministers will create among French a feeling of fear comparable with that of May 1968, which will cause a new tidal wave gaullist. Pierre Messmer confirms this version of the facts. The socialist candidate is elected.

Weakened by the weak score of the first turn, RPR gains only 83 seats with the legislative elections. Jacques Chirac is one of rare of her camp to be voted for the abrogation of the Capital punishment, against the opinion of the majority of the French. It becomes however increasingly popular among right-wing voters as mayor of Paris, in particular by developing a policy of Public transport, while coming to assistance with the elderly, with handicapped and the unmarried mothers, all in incentive the companies to remain in the city but by organizing the destruction of the popular quarters. In 1983, it is re-elected while gaining, with its coalition RPR-UDF the “large slam”: the totality of the twenty districts. Extremely of this victory, he affirms himself like the chief of the opposition on the national plan.

1986 - 1988: First cohabitation

See also: summary Amorce=Tableau, Jacques Chirac#Chronologie of the principal functions, Section chronology of the functions

In March 1986, at the time of the legislative elections to the Proportional, the union RPR - UDF obtains to accuracy the majority, with only two seats, and occurs what Raymond Barre baptizes “Cohabitation”. Jacques Chirac, chief of the majority, become Prime Minister.

The cohabitation is the occasion of a trench warfare between the Prime Minister and the President. François Mitterrand, openly criticizing the action of its Prime Minister, is posed as an impartial president. He refuses to sign ordinances and Jacques Chirac must resort to the article 49 al 3. The strategy of the President supports the lassitude of the opinion with respect to the method and the reforms of the government, and the Prime Minister must be solved to give up some of them. He succeeds in slowing down the progression of the Chômage, but not to stop it. He also pays the distrust of the youth, against which its minister Alain Devaquet ran up in November 1986 and the image of his minister Charles Pasqua, popular but hated on the right on the left. This last negotiates in secrecy the release of the hostages of the Lebanon. The official version, commune in the businesses of taking of hostages, is that there no was ransom; one shows the Prime Minister to have sold the French nuclear engineering in Iran and to want to handle the public opinion.

1988: 2 candidature for the presidential election

In 1988, Jacques Chirac presents to the presidential election. Confronted with the spectacular increase of François Mitterrand in the surveys, it launches out in a round in all France to explain its policy. With the first turn, it obtains only 19,94% and is pursued on the right by Raymond Barre who attracts 16,6% of them, and is largely outdistanced by François Mitterrand and his 34,1%. The journalist Eric Zemmour reported that Jacques Chirac would have had a secret interview with Jean-Marie Le Pen between the two turns, which he always denied. In fact, there would have been two meetings according to Franz-Olivier Giesbert. The first would have proceeded one month before the first turn via a mutual friend, the general Pierre de Bénouville. It was about a making of contact in order to that the two men can be measured. One second meeting would have taken place between the two turns. This time, Charles Pasqua is the intermediary which organizes the interview in a friend ship-owner. This time, Chirac made her decision and fact proof of a “inflexible intransigence” with the great amazement of Jean-Marie Le Pen. Opposing an end not to receive, Chirac would have asked the chief of the National front not to launch the least call in her favor. At the time of its short speech of May 1st 1988, Jean-Marie Le Pen could not any more but declare: “Not a voice for Mitterrand! ” leaving its free voters choose between the blank vote and the Chirac bulletin. Since this date, Jean-Marie Le Pen nourishes a resentment towards Jacques Chirac.

At the time of a rough televised debate, Jacques Chirac faces Outgoing president (Mitterrand) during which the president affirms “in the eyes” that it was not with the current of the negociations to release the hostages of Lebanon.

At the evening of the second turn of the election the May 8th 1988, Jacques Chirac undergoes a defeat cuisante by obtaining only 45,98% of the voices. Its camp is demoralized, and his wife goes until affirming: “the French do not love my husband”.

Again in the opposition, there remains mayor of Paris, re-elected triumphantly in 1989 and works to be maintained opposition at the head. In 1991, he declares that he is “absolutely hostile in the plan Delors tending to institute in Europe a single currency”.

1993-1995: second cohabitation

Vis-a-vis the great difficulties of the left government, it takes part in the legislative countryside of 1993 which sees the crushing victory of the right . Scalded by the preceding experiment, he prefers to remain in withdrawal and lets Edouard Balladur become Prime Minister, thus forming the Second cohabitation. The tacit agreement between the two men is simple: in Edouard Balladur the Hotel Matignon, in Jacques Chirac the Elys3ee palace in 1995.

However Edouard Balladur, within sight of his popularity, decides to present to the presidential election: the partisans of the president of RPR shout with treason, the more so as the Prime Minister involves with him a broad part of the chiraquiens of the first circle, the majority members of his government, of which Nicolas Sarkozy and Charles Pasqua. Philippe Seguin, a hesitant time, launches out in the battle near the candidate “legitimates” and becomes with Alain Juppe and Alain Madelin one of the principal supports of Jacques Chirac. This one, hoping to precede Edouard Balladur, announces his candidature early, the November 4th 1994. It starts a countryside dynamic and centered on the topic of the “Social fracture”. Jacques Chirac succeeds in eliminating Edouard Balladur with the first turn, before gaining the second vis-a-vis Lionel Jospin, candidate socialist, with 52,64% of the voices: it becomes President of the Republic.

1995- 2002: First presidential mandate

See also: summary Amorce=Tableau, Jacques Chirac#Chronologie of the principal functions, Section chronology of the functions

1995 - 1997: Alain Juppe Prime Minister

On its arrival with the Elysium, the May 17th, it appoints Alain Juppe Prime Minister. This last met the accent on the fight against the deficit of budgetary and the national debt in order to respect the Stability pact of the European Union and to ensure the arrival of the Euro.

The July 16th 1995 at the time of the 53e birthday of the Raid of the cycle-racing track of winter, Jacques Chirac recognizes “the collective fault” of France and déclare : “these black hours soil our history forever and are an insult with our past and our traditions. Yes, the criminal madness of the occupant was assisted by French, by the French State. ”

As of July 1995, one of its very first decisions is to carry out an ultimate nuclear test campaign before the signature of TICE, in order to make it possible ECA to develop its program Simulation. This decision, arrival at the time of the fiftieth anniversary of the bombardments of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causes an outcry, in particular in New Zealand, Australia, with the Japan, the the United States and in the mediums ecologist S, without it yielding: the trial run takes place.

The international policy of France changes suddenly into Yugoslavia, where the President orders reprisals following the murder of French soldiers, joint with NATO, which puts an end to the civil war. It in parallel follows a policy which brings it closer to the Arab countries while working with the peace process in the israélo-Palestinian conflict. France joined the command integrated of NATO, after having tried to obtain for a European soldier (in fact, French), the southern command of NATO, based with Naples.

The February 22nd 1996, the president announces his decision of professionaliser the armies and to suspend the national service. This choice of suspension, and not of abolition, must make it possible to restore it in the event of armed conflict.

Increasingly unpopular, the government of Alain Juppe must face massive strikes during the winter 1995 - 1996, due to the reform of the retirements of the public and the freezing of the wages of the civils servant. In front of the breathlessness of its majority, it risks a dissolution, awaited by much and probably advised by Dominique de Villepin, of the National Assembly the April 21st 1997, is eleven months before the date envisaged. Taken of short, neither its party nor its electorate include/understand his gesture while the opposition shouts with the operation. The elections which follow see the victory of the “Plural left”, carried out by Lionel Jospin. Jacques Chirac names this last Prime Minister.

1997 - 2002: third cohabitation

2002-2007: second presidential mandate

2002 - 2005: Jean-Pierre Raffarin Prime Minister

Lionel Jospin having given to him at once its resignation, it names a member of liberal Démocratie, Jean-Pierre Raffarin like Prime Minister, which control surface by ordinances during a few weeks: the UMP, then created by the association of the RPR, liberal Democracy and a broad part of the UDF, largely gains the following legislative elections, and obtains the absolute majority with the National Assembly, with 365 of the seats. Jacques Chirac can be again based on a parliamentary majority. It is also based on a group of UDF deputies reduced to 30 members, and names only one minister resulting from this party, Gilles de Robien, deputy and mayor of Amiens.

Jean-Pierre Raffarin starts the implementation of some of the promises of the countryside: lower income tax and multiplication of actions targeted against the delinquency, with its very media and popular Minister of Interior Department, Nicolas Sarkozy, and against the road insecurity, with the Minister for transport Gilles de Robien. Will come then the easing the 35 hours, the reform of the retirement S and Social security, the Décentralisation.

From August 26th to September 4th, 2002, Jacques Chirac is present at the Sommet of the Earth which was held in Johannesburg. It is accompanied by representatives by some French companies by the essential service sectors, and by ONG. There affirms, within the framework of an intervention remained famous: “ Our house burns and we look at elsewhere”. The international situation, marked by the attack of the September 11th, sees the intensification of the foreign politics of the president of the United States, George W. Bush, with which Jacques Chirac gets along badly. If it had supported it at the time of the intervention in Afghanistan, it places France, at the sides of Germany directed by Gerhard Schröder, Russia directed by Vladimir Poutine and China Populaire of Hu Jintao, like the adverse principal one of the United States against the invasion of Iraq. Shouldered by its Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, it obtains that the United States passes by UNO before any intervention. Benefitting from a broad national consensus on the question, Jacques Chirac is made the cantor of a “multipolar world”. Supported by the European public opinions but only by some leaders (the Belgian Guy Verhofstadt and German Gerhard Schröder), he is opposed to the United States, constant by eight Western-European governments (whose Great Britain, Italy and Spain) and ten Eastern-European countries and imply that he will use his right of Veto to the Safety advice of the United Nations as long as the situation will not develop. This advertisement is worth a hostile campaign to him, in particular in part of the Anglo-Saxon Médias ( The Sun title then “ Chirac has WORM ” - “Chirac is a worm”). The relations with the United States become execrable, starting to standardize itself only starting from the commemoration of the Débarquement in Normandy, fifteen months later.

At the time of the military Ravelled of July 14th 2002, Maxime Brunerie, a young militant of Extreme-right-hand side, tries to assassinate Jacques Chirac.

The shortly after a massive defeat to the cantonal elections and regional of 2004 (20 of the 22 areas of Metropolitan France pass or pass by again on the left), it names Nicolas Sarkozy minister of state, Minister for the Economy, finances and industry: majority of the political leader-writers (whose those of the Duck connected , the New observer and the Express train ) see a means there of countering its popularity always so strong (contrary to that of the Prime Minister, with low in the surveys). Vis-a-vis the presidential ambitions posted by Nicolas Sarkozy, it puts it in residence, at the time of its short speech of the July 14th 2004, to choose between its armchair and the position of president of UMP. In November, Nicolas Sarkozy is elected president of the left and leaves its ministry, then entrusted to Herve Gaymard. In February 2005, this one is constrained with the resignation following a scandal very mediatized and is replaced by the chairman from France Telecom, Thierry Breton.

To imply the French in the European Constitution, Jacques Chirac decides that a Référendum will be organized for the ratification of this one, to organize as fast as possible in order to gain the poll. From now on favorable to the entry of the Turkey in the European Union (its “wish expensive”), he sees part of his majority being opposed to this prospect, which comes to scramble the charts of the referendum: the December 17th 2004, the Twenty-five decide opening of negotiations with Turkey. The Draft Directive Bolkestein diverts part of social concern growing on Europe, in spite of the attempts at draining of the president. Worse, Jaques Chirac, for the first time at the eyes of the public, seems disconnected from social waitings, in particular from the young people, at the time of a debate televised well framed, on April 14th, 2005 on TF1. In a context of quasi-unanimity in favor of “yes” of the governing parties and the media, the surveys are reversed three times, the debate ignites the French and mobilizes the media until the day of the referendum.

2005 - 2007: Dominique de Villepin Prime Minister

See also: Government Dominique de Villepin

The May 29th 2005, after a campaign marked by the personal involvement of the president, “not” carries it with 54,87% of the voices and a strong participation of 69,74%. Two days later, Jean-Pierre Raffarin resigns; Jacques Chirac announces her replacement by a duet formed by Dominique de Villepin and Nicolas Sarkozy: one like Prime Minister, the other as minister of state, joining the ministry for the Interior. The press breaks out against the little of change of the members of the government but is intrigued by the “cohabitation” of both (one speaks about “Deputy Prime Minister”). Jean-Louis Borloo, a had a presentiment of time, widens his ministry while becoming Minister for Employment, Social cohesion and Housing.

Jacques Chirac then starts an arm wrestling with Tony Blair (which assumes the chairmanship of the Union), on the budget of the Union. This confrontation extends to the candidature from Paris and London for the Olympic Games from summer from 2012 where the two men imply themselves personally. The French leave favorite and hope to counter the moroseness which falls down on the country, but, the July 6th, London are chosen by CIO. The October 4th 2005, at the time of a Franco-Italian top, Jacques Chirac reproaches the European commission for not fighting against dismissals at Hewlett-Packard, which makes react the president of the Commission which qualifies this charge of “demagogy”, estimating that the subject is national field.

The project of Charte of the environment is born. He was wanted by President Chirac, advised by a commission of experts. The text of the Charte of the environment is adopted the February 28th 2005 by the Parliament assembled in congress, and promulgated officially by Jacques Chirac on March 1st. It appears from now on in the preamble to the Constitution of Ve République. It is the Court of appeal which now resumes work of legal adaptation necessary.

Since the referendum, the surveys of popularity relating to it are with lowest and go up only slowly. The September 2nd 2005, it is hospitalized with the military hospital of the Valley-of-Grace, for a Cerebral vascular accident (or brain attack) having involved a slight trouble of the vision which disappears in a few days. It leaves there the September 9th 2005, but does not have to take the plane during a few weeks. The Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin then represents France at the top of UNO the September 13rd 2005. He pains to mask the competition which opposes it to Nicolas Sarkozy, made acuter since the accident of the president. At the end of 2005, according to a survey, 1% of the French wish that Jacques Chirac be the candidate of UMP to the presidential election of 2007. Moreover, a French on three states to wish that the Head of the State resign of the Elysium to cause presidential anticipated. The majority of the leader-writers affirm that Jacques Chirac will not represent himself in 2007 but Patrick Devedjian thinks the opposite; Jacques Chirac asks the beginning of the year 2006 in Nicolas Sarkozy and Dominique de Villepin, “of reserve” while waiting for that the question of its succession comes to the day order.

Starting from the end of the month of October 2005, following the death of two young people with Clichy-sous-Bois electrocuted while taking refuge in a transformer EDF, then with declarations of the Minister of Interior Department Nicolas Sarkozy, the acts of violence multiply the following nights, the media ending up speaking about riots, being propagated in many suburbs in France (of the thousands of burned automobiles, companies and public buildings destroyed, etc). The November 8th, Jacques Chirac issues in the Council of Ministers the state of emergency (who will be raised approximately 2 months later, the January 4th 2006), the prefects being able to declare the Couvre-feu in all or left the territory. Jacques Chirac addresses for the first time on this rioting in the suburb directly to the French via television and radio operator Monday November 14th, looked by more than twenty million televiewers.

In visit the January 19th 2006 with the Long Island, bases operational underwater nuclear launchers of machines (SNLE) French, Jacques Chirac reaffirms there the principles of the policy of French nuclear deterrence, marking an inflection of the nuclear Doctrine of the country: not to reason more “of weak at the height” but “of the fort to insane”, during one time marked by the terrorism and the nuclear ambitions of country like Iran and the North Korea. If the United States and the United Kingdom react positively to this advertisement, the German political community worries about this position, whereas Iran protests.

After the Contrat news engages (CNE), Dominique de Villepin decides, with the beginning of the year 2006, of launching new a similar Work contract, for the young people, baptized Contrat first engages (CPE). The trade union mobilization and coed against this project in particular, and the aforementioned Law for the equal opportunity more generally, set up themselves slowly but end up taking very important proportions, and the Prime Minister is put in difficulty. Jacques Chirac takes several times the word to support it, but does not intervene before March 31st, where, in a short speech in front of 21 million televiewers, he announces the promulgation of the law which contained the CPE but request not to apply this measurement while waiting for a new law to the subject, entrusting the file to UMP, which makes say to a close relation of Nicolas Sarkozy: “actually, the CPE is indeed suspended, but is not said it not to upset Villepin”. The press is shown very critical on these half-measures and on April 10th, the Prime Minister announces the fast replacement of the CPE by another law.

The Affaire Clearstream 2 then comes to hustle the timetable of the government. Dominique de Villepin, but also Jacques Chirac, are suspected by the press of having financed confidential investigations into French politicians, between whom Nicolas Sarkozy, Jean-Pierre Chevènement and Alain Madelin, which was anonymously marked and wrongfully to have benefitted from Rétrocommission S in margin of the Affaire of the frigates of Taiwan. Nicolas Sarkozy carries felt sorry for against X in January 2006 for “libelous denunciation”, quickly joined by a series of other French personalities. Lastly, the Canard connected affirms in its edition of May 10th, 2006 that the official report of the Général Rondot, member of DGSE, also stated that Jacques Chirac would have held an account of 300 franc million (45 million euros) in Japan, with the Tokyo Sowa Bank pertaining to Soichi Osada, a friend of Jacques Chirac (made knight of the Légion of honor in 1994), stopped in 2000 in Japan for fraudulent bankruptcy. The general added that this account had been open in 1992 but it retracted by way of press. Jacques Chirac denied at once to hold any account in Japan, affirming that the Duck referring to an open survey by the DGSE in 2000 (right before the presidential one) about supposed accounts that it would have held in Japan, inquires which itself would have been open on the basis of article in the Japanese press. November 9th, 2006, is published in a book the internal note of the DGSE of the 11/11/1996 speaking about this Japanese bank account, Gilbert Flam having inquired around this business declared that this history of secret bank account was a handling of the Japanese press. In its edition of May 23rd, 2007, Canard Enchaîné affirms that the judges in load of the Clearstream business have concrete evidence (such as statements of account) of the existence of this Japanese bank account of Jacques Chirac. The declarations of assets of Jacques Chirac published in 1995 and 2007 do not mention the detention of bank account abroad. If he lied in these declarations, Jacques Chirac could be continued false claim in 1995, since the Court of appeal considered that the three years regulation is suspended during the exercise of its presidential mandate. There to note that this Japanese bank having gone bankrupt in 1999, Jacques Chirac could lose much, if it had really an account in this bank.

At the time of its wishes of the December 31st 2006, Jacques Chirac announces the decision of the government of Dominique de Villepin to set up a Droit to opposable housing in the very next weeks.

Dominique de Villepin gives the resignation of its government to him the May 15th 2007 the day before the transfer of power between the outgoing president and Nicolas Sarkozy.

Jacques Chirac, in the business Borrel, would have suggested with the Djibouti president seizing the the International Court of Justice in order to circumvent the examining magistrate Frenchwoman.

2007: position for the presidential election

The March 11th 2007 it announces at the time of a televised speech that it will not be presented to the presidential election of 2007 and that consequently it will not aspire to a third mandate: “I will not request your votes for a new mandate”, adding: “At the end of the mandate that you entrusted to me, time will have come for me to differently be useful to you”. The March 21st according to, it says “to give its Vote and its support for Nicolas Sarkozy” within the framework of this election. The still current president grants this support in the name of the party which it created, namely the UMP. “This political training chose to support the candidature of Nicolas Sarkozy. It is thus quite naturally that I will give my vote and my support to him”. One “quite naturally” which in known as length on the sincerity of this support towards the right-wing candidate. The May 6th 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy is elected president of the Republic and the Passation of the capacities takes place the May 16th.

After the Elysium

May 16th, 2007, Jacques Chirac left the Elysium for an apartment Quai Voltaire with Paris, lent by the family of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, assassinated in an attack in Beirut in February 2005. It is devoted from now on to the Fondation Jacques Chirac for the sustainable development and the dialog of the cultures.

November 21st, 2007, Jacques Chirac sees himself notifying her setting in examination by judge Xavière Simeoni of the financial pole of Paris within the framework of the business of the operations managers of the town of Paris employed with the cabinet of that which was then mayor of the city. It is the first time that a former president of the French Republic is put in examination by justice.

“Businesses”

Legal affair of RPR

September 21st, 2000, is published in the newspaper Le Monde a posthumous consent of Jean-Claude Méry, promoter and occult financier of the RPR, which shows Jacques Chirac, then mayor of Paris, to have been in the middle of the system. RPR (just like UDF, the PS and the PC) is shown to have fed its budget using commissions poured by companies of the building to which the Île-de-France area entrusted important public works n the other hand. Jacques Chirac was then the president of RPR. He was also mayor of Paris at the time of the facts of the business of the false voters of Ve district. An investigation takes place within the framework of the financing of voyages by plane in private matter of the former mayor. Bertrand Delanoë, new mayor of Paris, being unaware of these first charges, makes public lasting the presidential campaign of 2002 a relationship detailing the 2,13 million euros (that is to say 700 euros per day) spent in “expenses of mouth” by Jacques Chirac and his wife between 1987 and 1995; a withdrawal of case for regulation is pronounced by the examining magistrate Philippe Courroye in 2003.

On the whole, since the years 1990, the name of Jacques Chirac is regularly evoked in eight legal affairs in particular implying the Mairie of Paris. The majority of these businesses were considered (certain of its collaborator close relations like Michel Roussin, Yvonne Caseta or Alain Juppe were condemned) or were classified without continuation or are in hand. Jacques Chirac always refused to testify in front of justice and to go to the convocations judges when he was President of the Republic because of the penal statute of this last, holding it safe from legal proceedings lasting all the period of her mandate. Consequently, of the political personalities of left like Jack Lang, No5el Mamère or Arnaud Montebourg claimed a change of the legislation and the end of “presidential immunity”. June 16th, 2007 (one month after the end of its mandate) this immunity came to a end. July 19th, 2007, Jacques Chirac is heard first once by justice on this business in her offices of the street of Lille. This hearing would relate to one of the businesses of the fictional jobs of RPR. For this first business he was heard by the judges as an assisted witness, unlike the second business in progress as put in examination.

Convened for the one second hearing on November 21st, 2007, it is put in examination in this same business, for misuse of public money. It is thus the first old President of the Republic to be the subject of such a penal measurement under the Ve République.

Budget of the presidency

The budgetary reforms of the State resulted in making assume by the operational budget of the Elysium of the appropriations which were not before its competence. It is the same principle as for the budgets of the territorial collectivities with decentralization. The loads existed before but the State transfers from it the responsibility with the means necessary to assume it. The modifications in question took place during the presidency of Jacques Chirac.

Recognition and criticisms

Decorations

Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor (as a president of the Republic)
Grand Cross of the National order of the Merit (as a Prime Minister)
Cross of the Military Value
Medal of Aeronautics
Knight of the agricultural Merit (as a Minister for agriculture)
Knight of Arts and the Letters
Knight of Black Star (Benign)
Knight of the Sporting Merit
Grand Cross of the Merit of the Sovereign Order of Malta
Officer of the National order of Quebec
Condor of oro “Large Condor” ( higher distinction of the sporting federation of Bolivia).

Media satire

In Obélix and company , Jacques Chirac is caricatured through the Romain named “Caius Saugrenus”.
In the Bébête show (1982 - 1993), of Jean Roucas and Stephan Collaro, Jacques Chirac is “Black Jacques”, an eagle with the blue feathers.
the Puppets of information regularly parody Jacques Chirac who is introduced like a character franchouillard and débonnaire, sufficiently sympathetic nerve in her kind so that it was said that it is with the Puppets of information that Jacques Chirac owes her success against Edouard Balladur in 1995 (but not in 2002 where these same Puppets present it under the not very flattering character of “Super-Liar”).
Price Ig Nobel of Peace 1996: “to have commemorated the fiftieth birthday of the bombardment of Hiroshima with nuclear tests in the Pacific”.
the May 31st 2006 leaves the film In the skin Jacques Chirac , documentary having a very critical and satirical tone on the career of Jacques Chirac, and having for narration an imitation of the voice of the president.

Assessment

Its principal successes are generally credited to him in the field with Defense and the Foreign affairs - passage to the professional army, creation of the fast Force of reaction in 1995 during the war of Bosnia, in rupture with the passivity of the Mitterrand years. Its savage opposition to the American project of war in Iraq, at the end of 2002 - at the beginning of 2003 is also largely seen like one of the strong moments of its two mandates, in continuity gaullienne of some " idea of France" . Other commentators, without challenging the validity of the basic position, however estimated that the form brutal, without nuance, and possibly tinted of an anti-American ideology of this opposition caused to make it against-productive. They underlined the awkwardness and the arrogance of the comment of Jacques Chirac estimating that the Eastern European countries of Europe, lately used the Union, and rather favorable to the American position had " lost an good occasion of taire". And when Jacques Chirac affirmed that " the war is always worst solutions" , saw much there temptation devastator of an integral pacifism to the relents of Munich.

But it is especially with the internal plan that the assessment of Jacques Chirac is judged particularly severely by the political commentators. At the conclusion of its twelve years of mandates, it leaves France deeply divided (like showed it the riots in the suburbs of at the end of 2005 or the " non" with the referendum on the European Constitution), involved in debt (1142 millards of euros in 2006, is 63,7% of the GDP), and in economic unhooking compared to its european partners and with the rest of the world. Jacques Chirac especially appeared deeply unable to implement the reforms necessary to the modernization of France, whereas in same time the European neighbors of France reformed their in-depth economies - and in particular the government of Gerhard Schröder in Germany, however socialist and Greens, making for example pass the retirement age to 67 years. After the failure of the reform projects of the government Juppe and the traumatism of the great strikes of at the end of 1995, Jacques Chirac seemed as tetanized by the threat of the street and the trade unions (which however represent only less than 10% of paid), and gave up undertaking any reform which could be unpopular - except for the half-reform of the retirements by Francois Fillon in 2003. In its book the tragedy of the President , the political commentator Franz-Olivier Giesbert estimates that the currency of Jacques Chirac, with the wire of time, seemed to become: " I am their chief, therefore I them suis". This tendency also could be observed in the " building sites prioritaires" proclaimed of the second mandate, like the fight against the road insecurity, cancer, or for the handicapped people, subjects of nature compassionnelle more than political, which made say to certain observers that Jacques Chirac had left the political sphere of activity to become a " ram oeuvres" .

With the final one, if Jacques Chirac began her political career as autoproclamé gaullist, before passing by various phases like the " British socialism with the française" or the " liberalism with the française" , the political commentators estimated that its true political sensibility had gradually proven to be closer to radical socialism to old. And that at the bottom its true intellectual guide could have been the " good docteur" Henri Queuille, like him emblematic figure of the Corrèze, and which estimated qu'" he is not problem whose absence of solutions does not end up coming to bout" .

The political career of Jacques Chirac, who will have lasted more than forty years, will have unquestionably been one of most impressive of the Fifth Republic. But with its departure of the Elysium, it is also a page which is turned, and undoubtedly the end in a certain manner of making of the policy " with the ancienne" .

Anecdotic complements

Jacques Chirac would be the largest president of the French Republic since the general de Gaulle: he would measure between 1,90 m and 1,94 m according to the sources of the newspaper Libération of May 8th 1995.
In their book the invisible brothers , the journalists Ghislaine Ottenheimer and Renaud Lecadre affirm that Jacques Chirac was initiated in the maconnic cabin Alpina.
From its president's function of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac was coprince Andorre during its two mandates, in accordance with article 43.2 of the Andorran Constitution and canon of Saint-Jean-of-Lateran (the Holy See).
For its action in the Middle East, Jacques Chirac appeared on a block of four stamps of the post office of the Palestinian Autorité in the series of the “Friends of peace”.
Jacques and Bernadette Chirac “adopted heart” a Vietnamese: Anh Dao Traxel, on her arrival in France in 1979. It published an autobiographical book at the beginning of 2006.
Jacques Chirac is impassioned by the Arts first. In 1994, impassioned Indians Taïnos, Indians of Central America, it came to present its passion in the emission the Circle of Midnight of Michel Field. This passion is with the source of its meeting with the collector Jacques Kerchache, which gives place to the ambitious creation of the Musée of the quay Branly, in 2006.
Its decision to take again the nuclear tests on its arrival with the presidency of the Republic is largely condemned abroad. That gives place to a musical compilation in Germany: Stop Chirac , according to an idea of Die Ärzte with in particular Die Fantastischen Vier, Die Toten Hosen or Fettes Brot. The illustration of this album implicitly compares the nuclear bomb with a Pénis in erection.
the Chirac couple acquires, the March 3rd 1969, of the castle of Bity, located at Sarran in Corrèze. One month day for day after this purchase, the frontages and the roofs of the castle and the two houses located on the field are classified under the historic buildings by decree of the April 3rd 1969.
In February 1988, it starts an diplomatic incident on an aside held on Margaret Thatcher who did the one of the British press. The Tabloïd The Sun title: French the Prime Minister is ordurier .
Jacques Chirac is a large amateur of Sumo, and more generally of Japan, country in which it went nearly about fifty times. The puppy of Bernadette Chirac, a Maltese Bichon, was fore-mentioned besides " Sumo".
the president of Latvia, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga offered to him an enormous cake decorated with pinks for its 74 years at the time of the top of NATO.
After the death of Pierre Messmer, the August 29th 2007, Jacques Chirac becomes the most former French Prime Minister still alive (oldest is Pierre Mauroy).

Political course

Chronology of the principal functions

Political chronology

1950, militates for peace in a movement close to the French Communist party.
starting from 1962, collaborator of Georges Pompidou.
1967, elected appointed Corrèze, starts its ministerial career.
1974, appointed Prime Minister by President Giscard d'Estaing
1976, resigner, it is replaced by Raymond Barre and creates the RPR.
1977, elected mayor of Paris; there will remain to it 18 years (re-elected in 1983 and 1989)
1978, the December 6th, he launches the Appel of Cochin.
1981, it presents for the first time to a presidential election. Joining together 18% of the votes to the first turn, it is not qualified for the second.
1986, victory of the RPR and the UDF to the legislative ones. He becomes Prime Minister for the first cohabitation with François Mitterrand.
1988 : with the presidential election, it is beaten with the second turn by François Mitterrand (with 45,98% of the voices).
since the Years 1990, the name of Jacques Chirac is regularly evoked in eight legal affairs implying the Town hall of Paris in particular.
1995, elected President of the Republic vis-a-vis Lionel Jospin with 52,64% of the voices. Alain Juppe is named Prime Minister.
1997, dissolution of the National Assembly. The left gains the legislative elections. Constrained with the cohabitation, it names Lionel Jospin (PS) like Prime Minister (1997-2002).
2002, it is re-elected President of the Republic with 82,21% of the voices to the second tower vis-a-vis the candidate of the National front, the majority of the political parties inviting to vote in its favor.
2002, Jean-Pierre Raffarin is named Prime Minister.
2005, rejection of the European Constitutional treaty by referendum. Resignation of the Jean-Pierre Raffarin Prime Minister, replaced by Dominique de Villepin.
Since the May 16th 2007, he is member with life of the Constitutional council.
November 22nd, 2007: put in examination in the business of the fictional jobs of the town of Paris.

Electoral mandates

; City council man and Mayor:

1965 - 1971: member of the Municipal council of Holy-Féréole, Corrèze

1971 - 1977: member of the municipal council of Holy-Féréole, Corrèze

1977 - 1983: member of the the Council of Paris and mayor of Paris

1983 - 1989: member of the Council of Paris and mayor of Paris

1989 - 1995: mayor of Paris, mandate stopped after its election with the presidency of the Republic in May 1995, the mandate of advising of Paris being normally completed at the time of the municipal elections the next month, in June 1995.

; General adviser:

1968 - 1970: member of the General advice of Corrèze

1970 - 1976: member and president of the General advice of Corrèze

1976 - 1979: member and president of the General advice of Corrèze

1979 - 1982: member of the General advice of Corrèze.

; Deputy:

1967 : Deputy of Corrèze (1)

1968: Deputy of Corrèze (1)

1973: Deputy of Corrèze (1)

1976 - 1978: Deputy of Corrèze (2)

1978 - 1981: Deputy of Corrèze

1981 - 1986: Deputy of Corrèze

1986: Deputy of Corrèze (1)

1988 - 1993: Deputy of Corrèze

1993-1995: Deputy of Corrèze (3).

; European deputy:

1979 - 1980: Member of the the European Parliament, resigner.

; President of the Republic:

1995 - 2002: President of the Republic

2002 - 2007: President of the Republic

The March 11th 2007, on line, Jacques Chirac informs France which he will not be candidate with the presidential election of 2007. It thus completes its last mandate in “not requesting a new vote of the French”.

(1) mandates stopped after nomination with the gouvernement
(2) by-election after resignation of sound suppléant
(3) mandate stopped after its election with the presidency of the Republic

Governmental functions

; Secretary of State

Secretary of State to the social Affairs, in charge of the employment problems of the Government Georges Pompidou (4) (from April 6th, 1967 to May 31st, 1968)

Secretary of State to the Economy and Finances of the Government Georges Pompidou (5) (from May 31st to July 10th, 1968)

Secretary of State to the Economy and Finances of the Gouvernement Maurice Broods of Murville (from July 12th, 1968 to June 20th, 1969)

Secretary of State near the Minister for the Economy and Finances of the Gouvernement Jacques Chaban-Delmas (from June 22nd, 1969 to January 7th, 1971)

; Deputy secretary

Deputy secretary near the Prime Minister, in charge of the relations with the Parliament of the Government Jacques Chaban-Delmas (from January 7th, 1971 to July 6th, 1972)

; Minister

Minister for the Agriculture and the Rural development of the Government Pierre Messmer (1) (from July 6th, 1972 to April 2nd, 1973)

Minister for the Agriculture and the Rural development of the Government Pierre Messmer (2) (from April 5th, 1973 to February 27th, 1974)

Minister of Interior Department of the government Pierre Messmer (3) (from March 1st to May 28th, 1974)

; Prime Minister

Prime Minister from May 27th, 1974 to August 25th, 1976

Prime Minister from March 20th, 1986 to May 11th, 1988

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