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France Pays Final Tribute to Late Jacques Chirac (Photos)


Mon 30 Sep 2019 | 02:19 PM
NaDa Mustafa

World leaders gathered in Paris to attend the military funeral of late French president Jacques Chirac on Monday.

Plenty of current and ex-presidents attended the funeral including; Russian President Vladimir Putin, and former US president Bill Clinton, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and Jordan's King Abdallah II.

French President Emmanuel Macron presided over the ceremony near the site of Napoleon's tomb in the courtyard of Les Invalides. A military band played the national anthem, "La Marseillaise,'' before Macron inspected the troops.

Chirac's coffin, covered with France flag, was then carried to the center of the courtyard.

A private family church service for Chirac was celebrated prior to the military tribute and a minute of silence was being held in schools and public buildings across the country Monday on France's national day of mourning for its former leader.

Chirac, the last French head of state to complete two terms in office, passed away last Thursday at the age of 86.

Flags were lowered Friday on buildings and monuments throughout France in his honor.

Tributes have poured in from heads of state around the world this week.

Noteworthy, Jacques René Chirac was a French politician who served as President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra from 1995 to 2007.

Chirac was previously the Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as the Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.

He was also known for his stand against the American-led assault on Iraq, his recognition of the collaborationist French Government’s role in deporting Jews, and his reduction of the presidential term from 7 years to 5 through a referendum in 2000.

At the 2002 French presidential election, he won 82.2% of the vote in the second round against the far-right candidate, Jean-Marie Le Pen.

During his second term, however, he had a very low approval rating and was considered one of the least popular presidents in modern French political history.