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Events on Wednesday 17 May 1995 2
1995Elected President of FranceWon on his third attemptOn his third run for the presidency, Chirac defeats Socialist Lionel Jospin and is inaugurated President of the French Republic on 17 May 1995.
1995 – 2007Premiere dame of FranceFirst lady, twelve yearsDuring Jacques Chirac's presidency Bernadette serves as première dame, making the Élysée a place where her approval carried weight. Witty but formidable, she was hugely popular with the French public.