Born on 29 November 1932 in the fifth arrondissement of Paris
Son of François Chirac, a company director, and Marie-Louise, née Valette
Married on 16 March 1956 to Bernadette Chodron de Courcel
Two children : Laurence and Claude

EDUCATION

  • Lycée Carnot and lycée Louis-le-Grand, Paris.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Graduate of the Paris Institut d'Etudes politiques and of the Harvard University Summer School (USA).

DECORATIONS

  • Grand-Croix de la Légion d'honneur;
  • Grand-Croix de l'Ordre national du Mérite;
  • Croix de la Valeur militaire;
  • Grand-Croix du Mérite de l'Ordre souverain de Malte;
  • Chevalier du Mérite Agricole, des Arts et des Lettres, de l'Etoile Noire, du Mérite sportif, du Mérite Touristique;
  • Médaille de l'Aéronautique.

CAREER

  • 1957-1959 :
    Student at the Ecole nationale d'Administration;
  • 1959 :
    Auditeur at the Cour des comptes (Audit Court);
  • 1962 :
    Chargé de mission at the Government Secretariat-General;
  • 1962 :
    Chargé de mission in the private office of M. Georges Pompidou, Prime Minister;
  • 1965-1993 :
    Conseiller référendaire (public auditor) at the Cour des comptes;
  • March 1965 to March 1977 :
    Member of the Sainte-Féréole (Corrèze) municipal council;
  • March-May 1967 :
    National Assembly Deputy for the Corrèze;
  • 1967-1968 :
    Minister of State for Social Affairs, with responsibility for Employment (government of M. Georges Pompidou);
  • 1968 :
    Member of the Corrèze General Council for the canton of Meymac, re-elected in 1970 and 1976;
  • 1968-1971 :
    Minister of State for the Economy and Finance (governments of Georges Pompidou, Maurice Couve de Murville and Jacques Chaban-Delmas);
  • June 1968 - August 1968 :
    Union pour la Défense de la République - UDR - (Gaullist Party) Deputy for Corrèze;
  • Since 1969 :
    Treasurer of the Fondation Georges Pompidou (a voluntary organization providing assistance particularly for the elderly and handicapped children);
  • From 1970 to March 1979 :
    Chairman of the Corrèze General Council;
  • 1971-1972 :
    Minister-Delegate, attached to the Prime Minister, with responsibility for relations with Parliament (government of Jacques Chaban-Delmas);
  • 1972-1973 :
    Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (government of Pierre Messmer);
  • 4 March 1973 - 5 May 1973 :
    Re-elected National Assembly Deputy for Corrèze;
  • 1973-1974 :
    Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (government of Pierre Messmer);
  • 1974 :
    Minister of the Interior (government of Pierre Messmer);
  • 27 May 1974 :
    Appointed Prime Minister;
  • December 1974 - June 1975 :
    Union des Démocrates pour la République (UDR, Gaullist Party) General Secretary;
  • June 1975 :
    UDR Honorary General Secretary ;
  • 25 August 1976 :
    Tenders his government's resignation;
  • 1976 :
    Re-elected National Assembly Deputy for Corrèze, third constituency;
  • 5 December 1976 :
    Elected Chairman of the Rassemblement pour la République - RPR - (Gaullist Party);
  • 20 March 1977 :
    Elected Mayor of Paris;
  • 12 March 1978 :
    Re-elected National Assembly Deputy for Corrèze (third constituency);
  • 1 May 1979 :
    Elected Chairman of the Association internationale des Maires et Responsables des Capitales et Métropoles partiellement ou entièrement francophones - AIMF- (Mayors of French-speaking Cities Association);
  • 10 June 1979 :
    Elected to the European Parliament (Défense des Intérêts de la France en Europe list). Resigned his seat in 1980;
  • 14 June 1981 :
    Re-elected National Assembly Deputy for Corrèze, third constituency;
  • 14 March 1982 :
    Re-elected member of the Corrèze General Council for the canton of Meymac;
  • 20 March 1983 :
    Re-elected Mayor of Paris;
  • 16 March 1986 :
    Re-elected National Assembly Deputy for Corrèze;
  • 20 March 1986-10 May 1988 :
    Prime Minister (cohabitation);
  • 5 June 1988 :
    Re-elected National Assembly Deputy for Corrèze ;
  • 19 March 1989 :
    Re-elected Mayor of Paris;
  • 11 February 1990 :
    Re-elected RPR Chairman;
  • 7 March 1993 :
    Re-elected RPR Chairman;
  • 28 March 1993 :
    Re-elected National Assembly Deputy for Corrèze;
  • 12 November 1994 :
    Resigned as RPR Chairman;
  • 7 May 1995 :
    Elected President of the French Republic on the second ballot with 15, 770,249 votes (52.64% of the votes cast) compared to 14,187,963 votes for Lionel Jospin;
  • 15 May 1995 :
    Resigned as National Assembly Deputy for Corrèze;
  • 16 May 1995 :
    Resigned as Mayor of Paris.

PUBLISHED WORKS

  • Thesis at the Institut d'Etudes politiques : le Développement du port de la Nouvelle-Orléans (1954);
  • Discours pour la France à l'heure du choix; La lueur de l'espérance : réflexion du soir pour le matin (1978);
  • Une nouvelle France, Réflexions 1 (1994);
  • La France pour Tous (1995)./.