Jacques Chirac, former French president, dies at 86
Former French president Jacques Chirac has passed away at the age of 86 on Thursday. He was a center-right career politician who served as head of state from 1995 to 2007.
“President Jacques Chirac died this morning surrounded by his family, peacefully,” his son-in-law Frederic Salat-Baroux told AFP.
The French politician boasted one of the longest continuous political careers in Europe, being selected president twice, twice prime minister and 18 years as mayor of Paris.
Reportedly, for several years he had suffered from memory loss said to be linked to a form of Alzheimer’s disease or to the minor stroke that he had while in office.
The world will remember Chirac for leading France’s strong opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 when approval ratings for his anti-war stance in France soared to 90%.
“War is always a last resort. It is always proof of failure. It is always the worst of solutions because it brings death and misery,” he said a week before the US-led coalition forces invaded Iraq. He warned that any occupation of Iraq would prove a “nightmare”.
He became the first former president to be convicted of corruption following embezzlement charges in a party funding scandal when he was mayor of Paris, after a historic trial in December 2011. He was handed a two-year suspended sentence.
Condolence messages have started on social media:
Jacques Chirac en 7 photos terriblement cool https://t.co/ZN2fGY1aIL #jacqueschirac pic.twitter.com/EJDMrOme7A
— Vogue France (@VogueFrance) September 26, 2019
President @JunckerEU was moved and devastated by the news that Jacques Chirac has passed away.
For him, Europe is not only losing a great statesman, but also losing a dear personal friend.His legacy for France and the European Union will stay with us forever. 🇫🇷🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/bRui4it791
— European Commission (@EU_Commission) September 26, 2019
Saddened to learn the news about the passing away of fmr #French President Jacques Chirac. #Kosovo will forever remember him as a great proponent of values of freedom, acting decisively to stop genocide & exodus of #Kosovo people from ‘99 Serb agression, led by Milosevic. RH
— Ramush Haradinaj (@haradinajramush) September 26, 2019
RIP Jacques Chirac. I had the honour of meeting him twice. True gentleman, very smart and very French. He publicly complained about the British food on the G7 meeting in Schotland. https://t.co/Ta2jModNMo
— Koert Debeuf (@koertdebeuf) September 26, 2019
La guerre en Irak les a opposés mais l'ancien Premier ministre Tony Blair fait part de sa profonde tristesse à l'annonce de la disparition de #JacquesChirac pic.twitter.com/44sRxh4fpM
— Arnaud Comte (@arnaudcomte) September 26, 2019
