Alain Juppé publishes a book on his relationship of more than 40 years with Jacques Chirac.

"It is a long friendship which is singular, it is rare for a president and his Prime Minister to trust each other to the end," said the former mayor of Bordeaux, Thursday evening on Europe 1.

INTERVIEW

They formed a political couple for more than 40 years.

A little less than a year after the death of Jacques Chirac, Alain Juppé publishes a book, entitled

Mon Chirac, une friendship singular

, to recount his relationship with the former President of the Republic.

"We worked together for almost 40 years: I got to know him in 1976 when he was Prime Minister and I accompanied him until 2007 at the end of his second term as President. It is a long friendship that is It is rare that a president and his Prime Minister trust each other until the end, "testified Alain Juppé, Thursday evening on Europe 1.

"I did not belong to his inner circle, there was mutual trust"

For several decades, the two men nurtured a deep mutual respect, without being close.

"It was a friendship that was not only political but also very personal. I did not belong to his intimate circle, he was a modest man. We had relations which were not very expansive, but there was had this mutual trust which allowed us to do things together, "said the former Prime Minister of Jacques Chirac between 1995 and 1997.

The former mayor of Bordeaux has nevertheless witnessed the transformation of a "warlord", eager to conquer power in the 1980s, into a President of the Republic capable of "sight" (1995-2007 ).

"Chirac is not the same in 1976 and at the end of his presidential term. He was then a warlord at the head of the RPR, he wanted to conquer power and lead power against what was then called the 'socialo-communism'. He had the reputation of being excessive and sectarian, "Alain Juppé recalled.

"Then at the Elysee Palace, he is no longer the same man: he took a heightened view and time for reflection. I appreciated his capacity for action but also his deep humanity, that's what The most marked me, "greeted the former Prime Minister.

"I rushed to his bedside"

Alain Juppé also recounted the hours preceding the death of Jacques Chirac, September 26, 2019. "These are moments that mark in the life of a man," he said straight away.

"Claude Chirac called me to tell me that her father was not doing well and that she would warn me. She did, I rushed to her bedside and I stayed alone with him", recalled the former prime minister.

"He was not speaking, it was extremely dense silence and I saw all these years of working together scroll through my head."