France honors its late former President Jacques Chirac with a national day of mourning. At the funeral service in the Parisian church of Saint-Sulpice international guests are expected. Even former Chancellor (SPD) would have liked to participate. Despite his request, he was not invited to the celebrations.
The former chancellor had asked for an invitation from the German Embassy in Paris to pay tribute to Chirac, and he shared Schröder's office. However, the protocol department of the Elysée Palace had rejected this request. Chirac had died on Thursday at the age of 86 years.
Steinmeier and Putin are expected
Expectations of the funeral service include today's President Emmanuel Macron as well as Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Schröder's office, the Elysée Palace, in its communication with the German Embassy, stated that there was limited space in the church as a reason for the number of participants to be severely curtailed.
However, the news agency dpa reports, citing Élyséekreise, that Schröder is also expected to attend the celebrations. However, no formal invitation had been sent to the ceremony. The foreign contacts were asked to tell who would like to come. In the church on Monday morning also a place for Schröder was reserved. It may be a misunderstanding.
Chirac was French President from 1995 to 2007; Schröder from 1998 to 2005 German Chancellor. The politicians worked closely together on various issues; Among other things, in 2003 they refused to participate in the US-led war effort in Iraq. For the Social Democrat, the French ex-president was a great European. Schroeder called Chirac after his death as a "friend", whom he "personally appreciated".
