Jacques Chirac

Jacques René Chirac (born November 29, 1932 in Paris) is a French politician who is currently President of the French Republic.

Sourced

Democracy

• On n'exporte pas la démocratie dans un fourgon blindé.
  • Translation: One does not export democracy in an armored vehicle
  • Source: Jean-Pierre Raffarin, attributed to Jacques Chirac speaking to Silvio Berlusconi over the invasion of Iraq in 2003, 20 o'clock news, TF1, mars 11th 2007

Diplomacy with Iraq 70s-80s

• Vous êtes mon ami personnel. Vous êtes assuré de mon estime, de ma considération et de mon affection.
  • Translation: You are my personal friend. Let me assure you of my esteem, consideration and bond.
  • Declaration on September 5, 1974, about the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
  • Source: Aeschimann, Éric & Boltanski, Christophe (2006). Chirac d'Arabie : Les mirages d'une politique française (in French), Grasset & Fasquelle, pp. 64, ISBN 2246691214.

• La France est l'amie et l'alliée de l'Irak.
  • Translation: France is the friend and ally of Iraq.
  • Declaration in April 1986.[1][2][3][4]

Diplomacy with Iran 2000s

• As far as France is concerned, we are ready to envisage everything that can be done under UNSCR 1441. [...] But I repeat that every possibility offered by the present resolution must be explored, that there are a lot of them and they still leave us with a lot of leeway when it comes to ways of achieving the objective of eliminating any weapons of mass destruction which may exist in Iraq. I'd like nevertheless to note that, as things stand at the moment, I have, to my knowledge, no indisputable proof in this sphere.
  • Source: Statement made during a joint press conference, Paris, February 10 2003

• I would say that what is dangerous about this situation is not the fact of having a nuclear bomb. Having one or perhaps a second bomb a little later, well, that's not very dangerous. Where will it drop it, this bomb? On Israel? It would not have gone 200 meters into the atmosphere before Tehran would be razed. ...It is obvious that this bomb, at the moment it was launched, obviously would be destroyed immediately. We have the means -- several countries have the means to destroy a bomb.
  • Source:On Iran's nuclear program during an newspaper interview

Freedom of expression

• Anything that can hurt the convictions of another, particularly religious convictions, must be avoided. Freedom of expression must be exercised in a spirit of responsibility. I condemn all manifest provocation that might dangerously fan passions.
  • Source: Statement made about free speech following the publication of Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed

Attitude vis-à-vis Extreme right parties

• Ne composez jamais avec l'extrémisme, le racisme, l'antisémitisme ou le rejet de l'autre.
• translation: Never make up with extremism, racism, antisemitism or rejecting whoever is different
  • Statement in Le Monde, dated mars 13th 2007, p. 10

Attributed

• As soon as one nation claims the right to take preventive action, other countries will naturally do the same. If we go down that road, where are we going?
• What more does she want this housewife ? My balls on a plate ? (about Margaret Thatcher).
• The construction of Europe is an art. It is the art of the possible.
• The European Union and Russia have an identical viewpoint. We have condemned any potential revision of the ABM treaty, believing that such a revision will involve a risk of proliferation that will be very dangerous for the future.
• Finally, a safer world presupposes the revival of the virtuous circle of non-proliferation of weapons and disarmament.
• France is doing everything it can, but the problem is that it is impossible to stop Bush from pursuing his logic of war to the end.
• If our language, our programs, our creations are not strongly present in the new media, the young generation of our country will be economically and culturally marginalized.
• If we prove capable of showing a pioneering commitment, we shall create a commmunity listened to around the world.
• Liberalism is as dangerous an ideology as communism, and like communism it will not prevail.
• The message of the international community is clear - it has united to tell Iraq that it is now time to co-operate fully with the United Nations.
• National Missile Defense is of a nature to retrigger a proliferation of weapons, notably nuclear missiles. Everything that goes in the direction of proliferation is a bad direction.
• One can go to war alone, but you can't build peace alone.
• One month, two months, I am ready to accept any accord on this point that has the approval of the inspectors.
• Romania and Bulgaria were particularly irresponsible. If they wanted to diminish their chances of joining Europe they could not have found a better way.
• Terrorism has become the systematic weapon of a war that knows no borders or seldom has a face.
• Terrorism takes us back to ages we thought were long gone if we allow it a free hand to corrupt democratic societies and destroy the basic rules of international life.
• These irresponsible acts, which cannot have any justification whatsoever, are to be fully condemned. In these appalling circumstances, I want to offer you the most sincere condolences, both in my name and in that of the French people.
• The unanimous vote by the Security Council... offers Iraq a chance to disarm in peace. That was the meaning of France's initiative since the start.
• When you are in the family... you have more rights than when you are asking to join and knocking on the door.
• You only have to look back at 1935. There were people then who were against France arming itself, and look what happened.
• Don't cry ma cherie. You are coming home with us. (To a boat people refugee in Paris, who he later informally adopted.)
• Our house is burning and we are looking elsewhere. (About environment).