The first volume of the memoirs (506 pages) is published in French by Nil, part of the Robert Laffont Publishing Group.
Competition between various publishing houses was rife to obtain the rights to publish Chirac’s memoirs into other languages. For Kalima to obtain the rights to publish this book in Arabic is yet another indication of the prestigious position which the project has managed to obtain in the publishing world. Kalima considers the translation of such an important book to be a contribution towards a better understanding between the Arab World and the West, and another bridge between the cultures.
The book attracted worldwide attention. Serialized highlights of many of its chapters appeared on Le Parisian, Le Figaro, and the weekly Le Point. Chirac’s memoirs come at the right time. His popularity in France is still high, even though it has been more than two years since he left the French Presidency. His memoirs have sold out with sales exceeding 200,000 copies. The memoirs were published in an atmosphere full of speculation, set against the backdrop of the French General Assembly elections, with court cases and accusations thriving in the political scene. Allegations were directed at Chirac himself who was accused of “using public funds” during his mayor-ship of Paris between 1977 and 1995.
Chirac, just like any other politician, especially in France, wanted to use his memoirs to highlight his roles in certain events, to expose a number of secrets and even to settle scores with others. He was preceded by other French Presidents: General Charles de Gaulle; Georges Pompidou; Valéry Giscard d’Estaing; and François Mitterrand.
The first volume of his memoirs covers the first sixty-three years of his life, from being born in 1932 up to the moment he became President in 1995. He scans over the important landmarks of his early political life, especially the time when he twice became the Prime Minister under Presidents Giscard d’Estaing and Mitterrand.
He goes through his early life, his marriage to Bernadette and his relationship with the French Communist Party. Life was not easy for young Chirac. He worked, with his wife, in cafes and farms and they struggled together to overcome losing their daughter in 1973.
Chirac makes it clear that Georges Pompidou was his godfather and emphasizes his role in bringing him to mainstream politics. He settles many scores with Giscard d’Estaing, blaming his twisted approach to politics. That tense relationship ended in 1976 when Chirac resigned as Prime Minister to establish his own political party, Rally for the Republic. That move made him the Mayor of Paris and put him on the doorsteps of the Élysée Palace. This shocking revelation is accompanied by the portrait he draws of Mitterrand: a clever and a kind politician.
Chirac and the Middle East
The relation between Chirac and the Arab World first started when he did his military service in Algeria (1956-1957). He insists that he did not commit or participate in any atrocities; however he acknowledges that atrocities were committed there.
He writes about his relationship with Gaddafi’s Libya, especially his refusal to accept the former US President Ronald Regan’s request to allow US fighter jets to bomb Tripoli using French airspace in 1986. He emphasized Mitterrand’s reply after being informed about the rejection of the US’s request of “agreeing 100%, but should have been informed beforehand”.
Chirac goes into detail when it comes to his close relationship with Saddam Hussein. This relationship with Iraq was the key factor in France’s relations throughout the Middle East, especially with Chirac’s relationship with the Shah of Iran. He saw Saddam as a nationalist leader who wanted to free his country from Soviet dominance. He met him three times in the 1970s and the relationship between Iraq and France experienced a turning point which led to the signing of major arms and power generation contracts. He saw Saddam as a man with a sense of humour, who was clever and who treated Chirac as a personal friend.
Saddam, who expelled Ayatollah Khomeini from Iraq, asked France not to give refuge to the Iranian leader, saying “and it would be better to leave him to go to Libya where no one will hear him”. But despite this warning, Giscard d’Estaing allowed Khomeini in France. He severed the relationship with Saddam completely years later after realizing the extent of the brutality of Saddam’s regime, however he expresses his shock about the way in which he was executed.
Chirac touched on various issues in the way he looked at the world, but avoided many embarrassing episodes such as his Japanese held bank account and his son from another relationship. Volume II of the memoirs may hold answers many other secrets.
