Announcing his retirement from politics on 12 March 2007, Chirac underlined that it was "vital" to pursue European integration. He also showed some regret about not having done "everything that was necessary" to avoid the failure of the referendum on the European Constitution in France in 2005, which threw the EU into a major crisis.
Following his announcement not to run for a third term, the French press passed a mixed verdict on Chirac's 12 years in office as head of state. Most papers noted that the Chirac address did not mention his supported candidate for the presidential elections.
Le Figaro said that the reforms undertaken during his presidency had not followed an overall plan, while La Tribune criticised Chirac for not having drawn enough attention to the economy. La Croix argued that the outgoing president could have left Europe with his head held high if it had not been for the failed referendum.
The British press did not spare him from criticism either. The Daily Telegraph wrote: "Convention demands that we say nice things about people when they retire but, in the case of Jacques Chirac, it is not easy." The article concludes: "France deserved better." The Financial Times reads: "Many blame the inertia of the Chirac presidency, where structural reforms were often withdrawn in the face of street protest, for the country's failing competitiveness."
The German weekly Spiegel concludes: "Chirac's legacy of 40 years in French politics will not be remembered for many achievements. Chirac himself rarely followed the advice he gave to his people on Sunday evening."
