French magistrate Xaviere Simeoni recently ordered Jacques Chirac to face trial on corruption charges dating back to his time as mayor of Paris. The allegations concern Chirac's misuse of public funds and breach of trust for personal benefits. Specifically, the Paris City Hall awarded working contracts for non-existent jobs to people who were politically beneficial to Chirac.
Judicial investigators said they had found cases of people on the public payroll who were doing work for Chirac's political party or for his associates. The investigation involved "some 20 or 30 work contracts" that Chirac had approved or signed, as reported in The New York Times. In a particular case, investigators interviewed a driver who worked for a senator and political ally of Chirac whose pay was authorized by Chirac. The driver told investigators he could not explain why his work contract had been authorized by Chirac himself, who was then mayor of Paris.
Chirac was mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995, followed by his election as President of France. He received constitutional immunity from prosecution during his tenure as head of state. However, this privilege fell away when he left office in May 2007. Since then, he has been hit by a series of allegations. Merely two months after he stepped down as president, Chirac was heard by a judge in a different case of corruption related to political party financing.
If Chirac comes to trial, he will be the first former French head of state to be prosecuted on corruption charges. Under French law, this procedure is only a step away from an indictment. This trial will also earn him an even more uncomfortable historical record. The last French former head of state to face trial was Marshal Henri Philippe Petain, who was charged with treason by the end of World War II for secretly aiding the Nazi occupation. This will be a humiliating ending to Chirac's legacy of an over 30 year long involvement in French politics.
Back in 2007, Chirac defended himself in an article on the opinion pages of Le Monde. He admitted he had made "legitimate and necessary" appointments while he was mayor, but "there was never any personal enrichment." He also said "inaccuracies, often caricatures, sometimes excesses," had been spreading about him, and he found it a necessity to address the French directly about the problem. A recent statement from Chirac's office on Friday said he was "confident and determined to establish before a tribunal that none of the jobs that remain under discussion were non-existent jobs."
The order by the magistrate, however, is challenged by public prosecutors who requested that the charges against Chirac be dropped. They said there were no grounds on which to prosecute Chirac and some charges were nullified by the statute of limitations. Jean-Claude Marin, a public prosecutor, has five days to appeal the magistrate's decision. If he does so, an appeals court will have to determine whether Chirac should go on trial or not. This process could take as long as a year.
Chirac's lawyer, Jean Veil, said the former president would be ready to defend himself in court, either in person or through his lawyers. If Chirac is convicted, he could serve up to 10 years in jail.
Chirac's legal problems have stirred mixed reactions from the French political class, including Segolene Royal, Chirac's old adversary and a former Socialist presidential contender. "These are old stories and today Jacques Chirac probably has lots of things on his conscience, but at the same time, he has given a lot to the country," she told Europe 1 radio. "He deserves to be left alone, but justice must be the same for everyone."
Despite these allegations, Chirac has gained popularity in his retirement. A survey conducted by French polling firm Ifop suggested that Chirac is France's most popular politician, with a 76 percent approval rating. His memoirs are also slated to be published next month.
The magistrate's decision also comes amid a series of legal charges against Chirac's former allies and associates. This taints his legacy and leaves an unsavory aftertaste of his years in office.
On Tuesday, Charles Pasqua, former interior minister, was sentenced to a year in jail. Pasqua was convicted of taking bribes from an illegal arms dealer and obtaining national honors for him.
Dominique de Vilepin, former prime minister, is accused of attempting to smear his opponent Nicolas Sarkozy leading up to the 2007 presidential election. Sarkozy eventually won the election.
Jean Tiberi, who succeeded Chirac as mayor, received a 10-month suspended jail sentence for committing an electoral fraud in the 1990s.
"This is one of three cases that can be brought against Jacques Chirac which were sort of frozen for the 12 years he was president of the republic," said Anne Elisabeth Moutet, a political commentator. "I think it's a very good thing that nobody should be immune; we have a kind of transparency which exists in northern Europe and which is coming to France at last."
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