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A wasted year ahead for France

As President Chirac struggles in the opinion polls, challengers line up hoping to take his place

Let's not speak any more about Jacques Chirac. For a long time, the French head of state had the image of an incompetent but friendly leader in the eyes of his fellow citizens. A friend with whom you could easily watch a football match together over a few beers in hand.

Indeed, French television caricaturists often dressed Chirac in a tracksuit. All that is finished. Say the name Chirac in France now and you get the exasperated responses: "enough!", "the best thing he could do is to resign", or "why is he still hanging around?".

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