Conservative French President Jacques Chirac Won't Seek a Third Term

French President Jacques Chirac has always been something of enigma. In the 1950's he was a member of the French Communist Party, but slowly turned into a French neoReaganite sort of antitax, neosupply sider. His policies have not always been good for the working class of France, with high labor tensions. But with the unpopularity of the U.S. war in Iraq, Chirac was able to spin off enough popularity to keep his modern Gaullist party strong in the public relations polls. Now Chirac won't seek re-election, undoubtably creating a struggle for party leadership to succeed Chirac.

Both the Bush Administration and American political conservatives have long considered Chirac a huge roadblock to the foreign policy goals of the Bush Administration. But pragmatics may see things much differently. Looking back any warnings by Chirac against entry into Iraq certainly seem wise in the wake of all the sectarian violence that has been unleashed since the start of the 2003 war. Further, France had it's own serious political and military problems in the Ivory Coast, and could not spare more forces for yet another peacekeeping mission after any U.S. war changing the government of Iraq. In Iran, France has it's economic agenda just like the Russians of heavy trade with this rogue nation, and their softcore approach to Iran's nuclear program appears more moltivated by economic than anything.

It would probably be better for the U.S., if not the people of France that France has a new President. Tensions between the two powers have grown too deep. But at the same time, both France and the U.S. need room for honest disagreement on serious issues.

Strangely enough, the far more leftist former Socialist President of France, Francois Mitterand was able to better cooperate with past American presidents including Reagan than Chirac who should have more in common with the American Republican Party than Mitterand's Socialists. But international politics is more complex than mere ideolgy.