REPORTAGE
On Sunday, the French will be able to gather at the coffin of Jacques Chirac at the Invalides in Paris. But the popular tribute to the former President of the Republic, who died on Thursday morning, began the evening of his death. More than 3,800 signatures already adorn the registers open to the public at the Elysee Palace. This Saturday again, the crowd is not empty in the courtyard of the presidential palace to pay tribute to Jacques Chirac.
"As if we had known him for a long time"
The queue is long, the emotion palpable. Among those waiting to put their name on the guestbook, many Parisians. But not only. Some made the trip on purpose. This is the case of Odile, who came with her husband from Brittany.
Jacques Chirac came to visit their farm in 1990: "We keep an excellent memory, it was like a father, we were talking at the table as if we had known him for a long time." We had small turkeys, which he had taken In his hand, he was so much in our listening, we farmers, that out of respect for him, we will follow him to the end, until his last home, "she says.
Odile and Jean made the trip from Brittany to write in the registers and to gather, tomorrow, near the coffin of Jacques Chirac @ Europe1pic.twitter.com / zouv3jw9xJ
- Hélène Terzian (@H_Terzian) September 28, 2019"The light of France"
A president "close to the people" for Odile, a "statesman" for Amadou, also came to honor Jacques Chirac: "He was the torchbearer and the light of France.He was a man who scored I remember one thing in 2003, when he dared to say 'no' to Bush to go to Iraq, where I was even more proud, yet I am a man of the left but today I'm happy to be here to say he's been a great man, "he says.