Jacques Chirac, former president of France, was undoubtedly a prominent figure on the world political stage. Like any president, during his time in office many people speculated about the extent of his personal wealth—especially foreign journalists. Some claimed Chirac must have at least ten million euros, but perhaps that was too low; maybe he had tens of millions, or even over a hundred million.
Although these were merely speculations, they usually had some basis—after all, there's no smoke without fire. It wasn't until half a month before Chirac left office that the relevant French authorities, following standard procedure, publicly disclosed his complete personal assets. This included the bank deposits he shared with the First Lady, totaling 1.3 million euros.
When the figure was revealed, the French public reacted indifferently—no one was surprised. Foreign journalists, however, were astonished. 1.3 million euros was roughly the level of wealth held by many ordinary French families. How could a president have so little? The situation seemed unbelievable.
Indeed, Chirac's entire personal wealth amounted to just 1.3 million euros. In France, this isn't particularly wealthy. Many families reach this level of assets, but the fact remains as it is.
Let's examine Chirac's asset list: over 70,000 euros in deposits; 200,000 euros worth of furniture and artwork; 420,000 euros in stock market funds belonging to his wife; a countryside villa valued at 500,000 euros; inherited property worth 60,000 euros from his mother; and a more than 100-square-meter apartment gifted to his younger daughter for residence—these were all.
Each item was clearly listed and transparent. Anyone could access the information, raise questions, or even point out any undeclared assets—provided they presented evidence. True, Chirac was a world-renowned political heavyweight; perhaps people expected his wealth to be greater, or that he might have some "unexplained income," which would seem more plausible. But apart from this official list, no one could produce any evidence of additional assets. This was Chirac's complete personal fortune.
The French public accepted the authenticity of this declaration.
Revealing a president's assets before leaving office is simply a French convention reflecting "equality for all"—no one is above the rule. Everything is transparent, nothing is beyond explanation, and nothing is unverifiable. Two pages of paper laid everything bare, clear and open for all to see.
Not just in Chirac's case, in many countries around the world, government officials' income, tax records, family sources of wealth, and other financial matters must be regularly disclosed to the public. To us, this might seem somewhat unimaginable.
In fact, leaders of many nations not only have transparent incomes, but also, contrary to what we might imagine, do not live in extravagance when traveling. Everything they do must be calculated and accounted for, often down to the smallest detail. I recall that one day before a U.S. president took office, his family went to a Chinese restaurant to celebrate. The meal for six family members cost less than 400 dollars—just a simple table of food, with no extravagance at all.
During an overseas visit, a British Prime Minister was scheduled to spend half a day interacting with several businessmen on a cruise ship. The businessmen arranged a luxury suite costing $30,000 per day for him, but he declined the lavish accommodation and instead stayed in a regular single room, saying it was perfectly adequate.
Instances like Chirac's two-page asset list, the U.S. president's family spending less than $400 on a major celebration meal, or the British Prime Minister choosing a modest room while traveling—these are not acts of showmanship or attempts to impress anyone. This is simply how they live their everyday lives.
Chirac has left office, as have many leaders like him. What's valuable is that their integrity and honesty don't require special praise, because such conduct is simply the bare minimum expected. Just like Chirac's two-page list—everything is clear and transparent—there's no need to specially publicize or glorify someone simply for being honest.
(Lin Minli recommends from the "Zhengzhou Daily")