L'au revoir de Chirac

By Patricia Connell
12/03/2007

President Jacques Chirac announced Sunday that he will not be seeking re-election on 22^nd April.

Mr Chirac who has been in power since 1995 and who is now 74, made his entrance into the French political arena 45 years ago. He will of course be remembered not only as one of France’s oldest political players but also as one of the strongest opponents of the war and US policy in Iraq. Mr Chirac promised that he would continue to fight for ‘justice, for progress, for peace, for the greatness of France’. Details as to the shape of this battle would take were left untouched upon.

Mr Chirac is now making way for the next generation of French politicians.

Nicolas Sarkozy, Segolene Royal and Francois Bayrou have all pledge to break with the politics of the last 25 years.

The next general election will determine who will have the delicate task to try and improve France’s social and economic situation.