Former French President Jacques Chirac Dies at 86, Leaving Global Legacy

The news of the former French President’s death was announced by his family to AFP. As soon as the information was known, the National Assembly observed a minute of silence in his memory. Richard Ferrand, President of this institution, declared: "Jacques Chirac is now part of the history of France".

For his part, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, says he is "deeply moved and devastated". Around the world, several leaders and personalities are multiplying the statements to pay a well-deserved tribute to the illustrious deceased.

A great friend of Morocco, Jacques Chirac was in particular a close friend of King Hassan II. "I owe to Hassan II a kind of initiation into the complexities and values of the Arab and Muslim world. I owe him visionary analyses on the dramas but also on the chances of peace in the Middle East. I owe him a clearer awareness of international issues, the role of Europe in the Mediterranean but also of what the world expects from France," the former French leader had said, evoking the memory of his friendship with the Moroccan sovereign.

It should be emphasized that Jacques Chirac presided over the destinies of 60 million French people from 1995 to 2007. Appearing very weakened in recent years, the fifth President of the Fifth Republic died on Thursday, "in the midst of his loved ones. Peacefully," said his son-in-law, Frédéric Salat-Baroux.