French President Jacques Chirac is seen on a large screen as he delivers a speech.
Photo: AP
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Chirac Won’t Run for Third Term
French President Jacques Chirac told the nation Sunday that he won’t campaign for the third term. With the economy stagnation, explosive social environment and off-color worldwide reputation, the results of Chirac’s 12-year tenure couldn’t be called reassuring.
French President Jacques Chirac said Sunday he wouldn’t seek a third term next month. With the 1-percent popularity rating of Chirac, this decision of president wasn’t surprising even though he hadn’t announced the withdrawal till the very last moment. Indeed, Chirac's years as president have been extraordinarily uneven, and his legacy is mixed, including the stagnant economy, explosive social environment and dubious political reputation of the country.
Chirac would hardly advance to the leading quartet, should he have chosen to campaign. Centrist Francois Bayrou has nearly caught up with Socialist Party Presidential candidate Segolene Royal (24 percent vs. 25 percent), and UMP political party presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy is slightly ahead with 26 percent. The candidates are lashing out at each other, but their rhetoric is the strongest when it comes to Chirac, who is faulted for today’s misfortune of France in part and in whole.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Mar. 12, 2007
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