Summary Part 1: The young wolf (1932-1981) Jacques Chirac was born in Paris on 29 November 1932. At the age of 18 he became a student at Sciences-Po, the prestigious French institute of political science. He then moved on to the equally renowned École Nationale de l'Administration, before working for Georges Pompidou at Matignon. On 5 March 1967 he was elected as MP for Corrèze and joined the government. A move that marked the beginning of an uninterrupted ministerial career. In 1974, Jacques Chirac torpedoed Jacques Chaban-Delmas' challenge for the French presidency and became prime minister under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. But it rapidly became obvious that it was difficult for the two men to work together. In August1976, he resigned and created a new political party, the RPR, purpose-designed for conquering the Élysée Palace. Part 2: The old lion (1981-2006) Facing President François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac embodied the opposition. In 1986, the right won the parliamentary elections and he became prime minister. After two years of stormy political cohabitation, François Mitterrand was re-elected in 1988. Swallowing his disappointment, Chirac set his political machine rolling once again. During the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty, he campaigned in favor, against the vast majority of his party. In March 1993, Chirac led the opposition to a crushing victory. Édouard Balladur became prime minister. In 1995, Jacques Chirac was elected French president: the fulfillment of thirty years of politics. View more details

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