French ex-President Chirac's widow Bernadette dies at 93
The former first lady led the Pièces Jaunes charity and held local office in Corrèze for decades, becoming one of France’s most visible political spouses.
- Bernadette Chirac, widow of former French president Jacques Chirac, died on Friday evening at the age of 93. Her daughter Claude Chirac confirmed the news to AFP on Saturday.
- Born in Paris in 1933, Chirac married Jacques Chirac in 1956 and became France's only first lady to hold elected political office, serving as a general councillor for the Corrèze department from 1979 to 2015.
- Married for over 60 years, Chirac remained largely in the shadow of the "great man" initially, though she played a crucial role in her husband's 2002 re-election and led the popular Yellow Coins campaign for hospitalized children.
- Nicknamed "Bernie," Chirac warned Jacques Chirac about the rise of National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2002 and opposed his 1997 decision to dissolve parliament, blaming Élysée Palace secretary general Dominique de Villepin.
- French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Chirac on Saturday, describing her as a "great lady with a big heart" who "left her mark on our history" and changed many lives through her commitment to hospitals.
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Bernadette Chirac, formidable French first lady and 'last queen of France,' dies at 93
Bernadette Chirac, the steel-willed former first lady of France, has died. She was 93. She spent 12 years at the Élysée Palace from 1995 to 2007 beside President Jacques Chirac while building her own political power in rural Corrèze and…
Bernadette Chirac, the firm and unwavering former First Lady of France who spent twelve years at the Elysée Palace between 1995 and 2007 together with President Jacques Chirac, while building her own political power in the rural area of Corrèze and transforming a charity for children’s hospitals into a national institution, has passed away. She was 93 years old. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed her death on Saturday and stated that he …
She was the wife of former French President Jacques Chirac.
When Jacques Chirac took over the French presidency in 1995, wife Bernadette had been at his side for 39 years. The former First Lady 2019 also witnessed the death of her husband. Seven years later France also took leave of her.
Death of Bernadette Chirac: with Laurence and Claude, a courageous mother. Source link: https://www.leparisien.fr/politique/mort-de-bernadette-chirac-avec-laurence-et-claude-une-mere-courage-06-06-2026-K3XWJ7MHXJBNLGBSGPU7XQ4HHA.php Author: Publish date: Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
Barely known, on Saturday, June 6, the news of Bernadette Chirac's death, which occurred the night before at the age of 93, triggered a flood of tributes from all the banks of French political life.Beyond the divisions, this is the portrait of a woman of character, of a deep-rooted elected woman and of an indefatigable benefactor who emerges from the messages.The executive salutes a figure of commitmentThe head of state set the tone.
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- 37% of the sources lean Left, 36% of the sources are Center
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