Jacques Chirac | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Chirac in 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22nd President of France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 17 May 1995 – 16 May 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | François Mitterrand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Nicolas Sarkozy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister of France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 20 March 1986 – 10 May 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
President | François Mitterrand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Laurent Fabius | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Michel Rocard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 27 May 1974 – 25 August 1976 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
President | Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Pierre Messmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Raymond Barre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mayor of Paris | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 20 March 1977 – 16 May 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy |
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Preceded by | Office re-established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Jean Tiberi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
President of Rally for the Republic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 5 December 1976 – 4 November 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Party established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Alain Juppé | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Additional positions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Jacques René Chirac 29 November 1932 Paris, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 26 September 2019 Paris, France | (aged 86)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Resting place | Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 3, including Claude and Anh Dao Traxel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Signature | ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Allegiance | French Fourth Republic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Branch/service | French Army | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years of service | 1954–1957 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rank | Second lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jacques René Chirac (French: [ʒak ʁəne ʃiʁak] ; UK: /ˈʃɪəræk/,[1][2] US: /ʒɑːk ʃɪəˈrɑːk/ ;[2][3][4] 29 November 1932 – 26 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France[5] from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.
After attending the École nationale d'administration, Chirac began his career as a high-level civil servant, entering politics shortly thereafter. Chirac occupied various senior positions, including minister of agriculture and minister of the interior. In 1981 and 1988, he unsuccessfully ran for president as the standard-bearer for the conservative Gaullist party Rally for the Republic (RPR). Chirac's internal policies initially included lower tax rates, the removal of price controls, strong punishment for crime and terrorism, and business privatisation.[6]
After pursuing these policies in his second term as prime minister, Chirac changed his views. He argued for different economic policies and was elected president in 1995, with 52.6% of the vote in the second round, beating Socialist Lionel Jospin, after campaigning on a platform of healing the "social rift" (fracture sociale).[7] Chirac's economic policies, based on dirigisme, allowing for state-directed investment, stood in opposition to the laissez-faire policies of the United Kingdom under the ministries of Margaret Thatcher and John Major, which Chirac described as "Anglo-Saxon ultraliberalism".[8]
Chirac was known for his stand against the American-led invasion of Iraq, his recognition of the collaborationist French government's role in deporting Jews, and his reduction of the presidential term from seven years to five through a referendum in 2000. At the 2002 presidential election, he won 82.2% of the vote in the second round against the far-right candidate, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and was the last president to be re-elected until 2022. In 2011, the Paris court declared Chirac guilty of diverting public funds and abusing public confidence, giving him a two-year suspended prison sentence.[9]