Editing Jacques Chirac (section)

== Controversies ==
{{Controversy-section|date=November 2024}}
=== Osirak controversy ===
At the invitation of [[Saddam Hussein]] (then [[vice-president of Iraq]], but [[power behind the throne|''de facto'' dictator]]), Chirac made an official visit to [[Baghdad]] in 1975. Hussein approved a deal granting French oil companies a number of privileges plus a 23-percent share of Iraqi oil.<ref name=h>Taheri, Amir, [http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-taheri110402.asp "The Chirac Doctrine: France's Iraq-war plan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814081424/http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-taheri110402.asp |date=14 August 2007 }}, ''National Review Online'', 4 November 2002</ref> As part of this deal, France sold Iraq the [[Osirak]] MTR [[nuclear reactor]], designed to test nuclear materials.

The [[Israeli Air Force]] alleged that the reactor's imminent commissioning was a threat to its security, and pre-emptively bombed the Osirak reactor on 7 June 1981, provoking considerable anger from French officials and the United Nations Security Council.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/7/newsid_3014000/3014623.stm "1981: Israel bombs Baghdad nuclear reactor"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217203818/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/7/newsid_3014000/3014623.stm |date=17 December 2008 }}, ''On this day – 7 June'', BBC News. Retrieved 5 September 2008</ref>

The Osirak deal became a controversy again in 2002–2003, when an international [[Multi-National Force – Iraq|military coalition]] led by the United States [[rationale for the Iraq War|invaded Iraq]] and forcibly removed Hussein's government from power. France led several other European countries in an effort to prevent the invasion. The Osirak deal was then used by parts of the American media to criticise the Chirac-led [[opposition to the Iraq War|opposition to starting a war in Iraq]],<ref>Joshua Glenn, [https://www.boston.com/news/packages/iraq/globe_stories/030203_chirac.htm Rebuilding Iraq] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511060916/http://www.boston.com/news/packages/iraq/globe_stories/030203_chirac.htm |date=11 May 2008 }}, ''[[Boston Globe]]'', 2 March 2003</ref> despite French involvement in the [[Gulf War]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/2007/MR629.pdf |title=Out of Area or Out of Reach? European Military Support for Operations in Southwest Asia |access-date=13 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428083327/http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/2007/MR629.pdf |archive-date=28 April 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Conviction for corruption ===
Chirac has been named in several cases of alleged corruption that occurred during his term as mayor, some of which have led to [[felony]] convictions of some politicians and aides. However, a controversial judicial decision in 1999 granted Chirac immunity while he was president of France. He refused to testify on these matters, arguing that it would be incompatible with his presidential functions. Investigations concerning the running of Paris's city hall, the number of whose municipal employees increased by 25% from 1977 to 1995 (with 2,000 out of approximately 35,000 coming from the {{lang|fr|Corrèze|italic=no}} region where Chirac had held his seat as deputy), as well as a lack of financial transparency ({{lang|fr|marchés publics}}{{--)}} and the communal debt, were thwarted by the legal impossibility of questioning him as president.<ref name="Jean Guarrigues 2004 pp. 66">Jean Guarrigues, professor at the University of [[Orléans]] (and author of ''Les Scandales de la République. De Panama à l'Affaire Elf'', Robert Laffon, 2004), "La dérive des affaires" in ''[[L'Histoire]]'' n° 313, October 2006, pp. 66–71 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

The conditions of the [[privatisation]] of the Parisian water system acquired very cheaply by the {{lang|fr|[[Vivendi|Compagnie Générale des Eaux]]|italic=no}} and the {{lang|fr|[[Lyonnaise des Eaux]]|italic=no}}, then directed by [[Jérôme Monod]], a close friend of Chirac, were also criticised. Furthermore, the satirical newspaper {{lang|fr|[[Le Canard enchaîné]]}} revealed the astronomical "food expenses" paid by the Parisian municipality (€15&nbsp;million a year according to the {{lang|fr|Canard}}{{--)}}, expenses managed by [[Roger Romani]] (who allegedly destroyed all archives of the period 1978–93 during night raids in 1999–2000). Thousands of people were invited each year to receptions in the Paris city hall, while many political, media and artistic personalities were hosted in private flats owned by the city.<ref name="Jean Guarrigues 2004 pp. 66"/>

Chirac's immunity from prosecution ended in May 2007, when he left office as president. In November 2007 a preliminary charge of misuse of public funds was filed against him.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/chirac-faces-investigation-into-misuse-of-public-cash-759026.html|title=Chirac faces investigation into 'misuse of public cash'|date=22 November 2007|work=The Independent|location=London|access-date=6 July 2008|first=John|last=Lichfield|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118161928/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/chirac-faces-investigation-into-misuse-of-public-cash-759026.html|archive-date=18 January 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Chirac is said to be the first former French head of state to be formally placed under investigation for a crime.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.capital.fr/Actualite/Default.asp?source=RE&numero=270226&Cat=GEN|title=Le dossier judiciaire de Jacques Chirac s'alourdit|date=22 February 2008|work=Capital|access-date=6 July 2008|language=fr}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> On 30 October 2009, a judge ordered Chirac to stand trial on [[embezzlement]] charges, dating back to his time as mayor of Paris.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/world/europe/31chirac.html|title=Frances Chirac Ordered to Face Trial|date=30 October 2009|author=Alan Cowell|work=The New York Times|access-date=30 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512010120/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/world/europe/31chirac.html|archive-date=12 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 7 March 2011, he went on trial on charges of diverting public funds, accused of giving fictional city jobs to 28 activists from his political party while serving as the [[mayor of Paris]] (1977–95).<ref name="bbc trial opens">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12661446 |title=France: Jacques Chirac corruption trial opens |access-date=8 March 2011 |date=7 March 2011 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110308011430/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12661446 |url-status=live |archive-date=8 March 2011}}</ref><ref name="tele">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8366721/Jacques-Chirac-trial-faces-further-delays.html |title=Jacques Chirac trial faces further delays |access-date=8 March 2011 |date=7 March 2011 |newspaper=The Telegraph |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309053006/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8366721/Jacques-Chirac-trial-faces-further-delays.html |archive-date=9 March 2011 |url-status=live |first=Henry |last=Samuel}}</ref> Along with Chirac, nine others stood trial in two separate cases, one dealing with fictional jobs for 21 people and the other with jobs for the remaining seven.<ref name="bbc trial opens" /> The President of [[Union for a Popular Movement]], who later served as France's Minister of Foreign Affairs, [[Alain Juppé]], was sentenced to a 14-month suspended prison sentence for the same case in 2004.<ref name="BBC guilty 15 December">{{cite news|title=French ex-President Jacques Chirac guilty of corruption|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16194089|publisher=BBC|access-date=15 December 2011|date=15 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215120904/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16194089|archive-date=15 December 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 15 December 2011, Chirac was found guilty and given a suspended sentence of two years.<ref name="BBC guilty 15 December" /> He was convicted of diverting public funds, abuse of trust and illegal conflict of interest. The suspended sentence meant he did not have to go to prison and took into account his age, health and status as a former head of state.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/dec/15/jacques-chirac-guilty-corruption "Jacques Chirac found guilty of corruption"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208084016/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/dec/15/jacques-chirac-guilty-corruption |date=8 February 2017 }}, ''The Guardian'', 15 December 2011.</ref> He did not attend the trial, since medical doctors deemed that his neurological problems damaged his memory.<ref name="BBC guilty 15 December" /> His defence team decided not to appeal.<ref name="BBC guilty 15 December" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/world/europe/chirac-found-guilty-in-political-funding-case.html|title=Chirac Found Guilty in Political Funding Case|date=15 December 2011|work=The New York Times|access-date=15 December 2011|first=Steven|last=Erlanger|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215173732/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/world/europe/chirac-found-guilty-in-political-funding-case.html|archive-date=15 December 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{See also|Corruption scandals in the Paris region}}

=== The Clearstream Affair ===
{{Further|Clearstream}}
During April and May 2006, Chirac's administration was beset by a crisis as his chosen prime minister, [[Dominique de Villepin]], was accused of asking [[Philippe Rondot]], a top-level French spy, for a secret investigation into Villepin's chief political rival, [[Nicolas Sarkozy]], in 2004. This matter has been called the second [[Clearstream Affair]]. On 10 May 2006, following a Cabinet meeting, Chirac made a rare television appearance to try to protect Villepin from the scandal and to debunk allegations that Chirac himself had set up a Japanese bank account containing 300&nbsp;million francs in 1992 as Mayor of Paris.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,542-2174662,00.html French farce] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080111193713/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,542-2174662,00.html |date=11 January 2008 }}, ''[[The Times]]'', 11 May 2006</ref> Chirac said that "The Republic is not a dictatorship of rumours, a dictatorship of calumny."<ref>[https://archive.today/20060929232320/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2174839,00.html Caught in deep water: Chirac swims against a tide of scandal], ''The Times'', 11 May 2006</ref>