90th Birthday of Jacques Chirac

A side profile of Jacques Chirac with the euro symbol in the background. On the right the monogram "RF" of the French Republic, the year 2022, and the mint marks of the French Mint and the Chief Engraver. Along the lower edge the commemoration inscription "JAQUES CHIRAC" and the dates "1932–2019".

As one of the driving forces behind European unification, France played an active role in shaping the introduction of euro cash on 1 January 2002. Jacques Chirac, President of France from 1995 to 2007, led the Republic during those years and thus bore political co-responsibility for one of the most far-reaching steps in European economic history. Under his presidency, France completed the transition from the franc to the euro — a change that touched not only monetary sovereignty but also raised questions of national identity. Chirac, a Gaullist who was also a committed European, saw the common currency as a tool for stabilising the continent and strengthening France's position within the EU.

Jacques Chirac was born in Paris in 1932 and shaped French politics for decades: as Prime Minister, Mayor of Paris and finally as head of state. Internationally, he is best known for his clear rejection of the 2003 Iraq War, which set France apart from the transatlantic consensus in foreign policy. At home, he left behind a complex legacy spanning economic reforms, social tensions and a commitment to France's role in a multipolar world. He died in Paris in 2019. To mark the 20th anniversary of the introduction of euro cash, all euro states honoured, in a joint 2022 issue, a person or institution linked to the introduction of the common currency — France chose Jacques Chirac.