Jacques Chirac, one of France’s longest-serving former presidents with a political career spanning more than 4 decades, died at age 86
: Jacques Chirac, one of France’s longest-serving former presidents who was later beset by corruption scandals, died on Thursday aged 86, his family confirmed.
Chirac had been suffering memory loss for years after suffering a stroke while in office. His cause of death has not been revealed. The, charismatic, centre-right politician became known as one of France’s, and Europe’s, longest-serving leaders, serving as President from 1995 to 2007, in addition to two terms as prime minister and an 18-year stint as Paris mayor.
He led major political reforms including taking France into the Euro and shortening presidential terms to five years from seven. Chirac was widely praised for France’s strong opposition to the US-led invasion into Iraq in 2003, and he acknowledged his country's role in the Holocaust. But in 2011 he became the first French president to be convicted of corruption. He was given a two-year suspended sentence after beingThe French National Assembly held a minute’s silence to mark his death.:"Europe is not only losing a great statesman, but the president is losing a great friend," said Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission.A key test for Chirac’s presidency was holding a referendum on France’s role within the European Union.
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