This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49838146

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Former French president Jacques Chirac dies Jacques Chirac: Former French president dies at 86
(32 minutes later)
Jacques Chirac, former French president whose later years were blighted by corruption scandals, has died aged 86. Jacques Chirac, the former French president whose later years were blighted by corruption scandals, has died aged 86.
He served two terms as French president and took his country into the single European currency. "President Jacques Chirac died this morning surrounded by his family, peacefully," his son-in-law told the French news agency AFP.
One of his major political reforms was to cut the presidential term of office from seven to five years. Mr Chirac served two terms as French president and took his country into the single European currency.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. The French National Assembly observed a minute's silence in his memory.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission and former Luxembourg premier, said he was "moved and devastated" to learn the news.
"Europe is not only losing a great statesman, but the president is losing a great friend," Mr Junker said in a statement.
Corruption conviction
Chirac was born in 1932, the son of a bank manager. He served as head of state from 1995 to 2007 - making him France's second longest serving post-war president after his Socialist predecessor Francois Mitterrand. His health steadily deteriorated after he stepped down until his death on Thursday.
Chirac also served as the French prime minister, but was beset by a series of corruption scandals. In 2011, he was convicted of diverting public funds while serving as the mayor of Paris.
Among his major domestic political reforms was a reduction of the presidential term of office from seven to five years.
He moved from anti-European Gaullism to championing a European Union constitution that was then rejected by French voters.
In 2003, he was as the focus of opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. In 2005, he suffered a stroke, and in 2014, his wife Bernadette said he would no longer speak in public, noting he had memory trouble.