Jacques Chirac, French President Who Defied U.S., Dies at 86
- He led international effort to block 2003 U.S. war in Iraq
- His 40-year career culminated in two terms as head of state
French President Jacques Chirac in March 2007
Photographer: PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images
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Jacques Chirac, the French president who led his country into Europe’s common currency and spearheaded international opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, died on Thursday. He was 86.
As president of France from 1995 to 2007, Chirac sought more clout for his country and for the European Union, advocating a “multipolar” world to balance U.S. and “Anglo-Saxon” dominance. The president, who first entered government under Charles de Gaulle in the 1960s, forged, like his mentor, a reputation for defiance, first toward his own bosses and later toward the U.S.