“Jacques René Chirac, a champion of Europe and fierce opponent of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, has died. The former two-term president was 86.
“Chirac spent half a century in the public eye. Before he was president of France, he was the mayor of Paris.
“He also served two terms as prime minister and represented his rural district in the French Parliament for nearly 30 years…
“Chirac leaves a mixed legacy in France, where his charm and good looks were paired with a killer’s instinct for winning elections.
“And he raised France’s — and his own — profile by speaking eloquently about the need to “humanize” globalization and close the gap between rich and poor.”
Read more at NPR
