Bernadette Chirac: 'Independent woman,' 'great friend,' 'rare dignity' – political class mourns ex-first lady's passing

France mourns the passing of Bernadette Chirac, the former first lady and a politician in her own right, who died Friday evening at the age of 93. She was the only first lady to have held her own political office. Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, with leaders from both the right and left remembering her significant contributions.

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She marked our History alongside President Jacques Chirac, the life of Corrèze where she was elected, the destiny of millions of anonymous sick people too, thanks to her intimate and constant commitment.

President Emmanuel Macron lauded Chirac's impact on French history, noting her presence alongside President Jacques Chirac, her work in the Corrèze region, and her tireless commitment to anonymous patients. "Bernadette Chirac changed so many lives with discretion and determination. A great lady of heart is leaving us. The Nation shares the grief of her family, her loved ones, all those who loved her," Macron stated on X.

Former President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed personal sorrow, calling Chirac a "great friend" who offered unwavering political and personal support. He recalled "wonderful as well as painful memories" shared over fifty years, describing her as "loyal, courageous, funny, uncompromising, affectionate." Sarkozy added, "An era is ending with her departure. I feel, like many French people, a deep nostalgia." He found solace in the belief that she would be reunited with her husband, Jacques, and daughter, Laurence.

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Bernadette Chirac changed so many lives with discretion and determination. A great lady of heart is leaving us. The Nation shares the grief of her family, her loved ones, all those who loved her.

Former President François Hollande remembered Chirac as a woman who was "stubborn, determined, but above all independent." He highlighted her engagement alongside her husband, her role as first lady, her work with the vulnerable through the "Pièces Jaunes" initiative, and her service to Corrèze. "I can testify that she never gave up for her canton," Hollande said, adding that Chirac "succeeded in imposing her personality, her ideas, and her style in a world that was not readily open to her." He remembered her as a woman who gave meaning to an "exceptional life."

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With the disappearance of Bernadette Chirac, I lose a great friend who always supported me politically as well as personally. She was loyal, courageous, funny, uncompromising, affectionate. I cannot choose between all the wonderful as well as painful memories we have shared together over these last fifty years.

Other political figures, including Bruno Retailleau, president of Les Républicains, also paid tribute. Retailleau called Chirac "an exceptional woman" who embodied "a rare dignity, a sense of duty, a love for France, and fidelity to her own." Éric Ciotti, the current mayor of Nice, was among the first to react, calling France's first lady "generous" and an "emblematic figure."

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An era is ending with her departure. I feel, like many French people, a deep nostalgia. My only consolation is, in the conviction that I hold, that she can now be reunited with Jacques who must have missed her so much and Laurence who meant so much in her life. (...) Goodbye my dear Bernadette. You well deserve this rest.