Chirac Turns Reckless, Combative in Campaign’s Final, Frenetic Week

For six months, Premier Jacques Chirac tried to rein in his natural combativeness and calm his relentless, nervous energy in hopes of fashioning a new, moderate and statesmanlike image for the voters of France. But in the last week of the presidential election campaign, with all signs pointing to his defeat Sunday at the hands of President Francois Mitterrand, a desperate Chirac tore off all restraints.

Suddenly the old image flashed again. Partly out of strategy, partly out of chance, Chirac became a heedless, reckless, truculent man of action once more. He campaigned in breathless tours of three cities a day. And he lashed out at Mitterrand as a liar, a hypocrite, a dishonorable schemer, a sower of violence.

A rush of government action matched Chirac’s bristling tone. His lieutenants successfully bargained for the release Wednesday of the last three French hostages in Beirut. On Thursday, the French army wiped out a nest of Melanesian separatists holding 23 hostages in New Caledonia. Le Quotidien de Paris, a newspaper that supports Chirac, headlined both events “The Fruits of Action.”

No Opinion Polls

Because French law prohibits the publication of polls during the last week of a campaign, analysts are not sure whether Chirac, a 55-year-old conservative, succeeded in turning the election around in his final, frenetic days of campaigning. Many believe that he probably has failed but may have managed to narrow the gap enough to avert a humiliating defeat by Mitterrand, a 71-year-old Socialist, that could destroy Chirac’s political career.

One problem makes it particularly difficult to assess how well Chirac has done in this last week: He has a knack for driving away as many voters as he attracts. The return of the hostages could be an example: French voters are obviously pleased that the three hostages returned Thursday, and most know that it was Chirac’s policies that led to the release of all French hostages in Beirut during the last two years.

But many voters wonder about the still-undisclosed price paid by France in concessions and cash for the hostages and are suspicious about the timing of the release just before Election Day. Chirac would not benefit if voters felt that he had used the hostages as pawns for political gain. In fact, Chirac irritated some voters by announcing the release Wednesday night to a rally of supporters in Strasbourg, who greeted the news with chants of “We are going to win.”

Death Toll

In much the same way, Chirac’s order to send troops to free the hostages on the island of Ouvea in New Caledonia smacked of a decisive act in tune with the glory of France. But the death toll--19 Melanesian separatists and two French soldiers--was so high that it cast doubt on the reasonableness of both Chirac and his minister of overseas territories, Bernard Pons.

In a toughly worded column Friday, Jean-Marie Colombani, the respected political analyst of the newspaper Le Monde, wrote, “If these events leave a bitter taste, it is because it is difficult to resist the idea that someone has been trying to win votes in France with the blood of Ouvea. It is difficult to resist the idea that for 48 hours Monsieur Chirac has been playing for the presidency at poker.”

At the beginning of the week, Chirac looked desperate. In a television interview Tuesday night, for example, he accused Mitterrand of primary responsibility for the surprisingly large vote won by extreme rightist Jean-Marie Le Pen in the first round of the election. “He cries wolf today with an hypocrisy that leaves me speechless,” Chirac said.

Accused of Lies

Chirac also insisted that Mitterrand had lied during their television debate April 28 when he accused the premier of freeing an Iranian official even after informing the president that the Iranian was a terrorist.

“I was stupefied,” said Chirac, “to suddenly hear a man tell a falsehood, telling the opposite of what happened between us.” Mitterrand, Chirac went on, practiced so much “psychological manipulation to trick the French” that “I no longer have any trust in him.”

Chirac looked cross and worried in the television interview as he tried to bat down the questions of the reporters with furious slashes at Mitterrand. And at least until the last few days, the campaign has been difficult for him.

Not a Strong Finish

Chirac qualified for Sunday’s runoff election by finishing second to Mitterrand in the first round of voting April 24--but it was not a strong second-place finish. While Mitterrand took 34.1% of the vote, Chirac had only 19.9%, the lowest score of any finalist since popular elections of French presidents began in 1965.

Two rightists were not far behind Chirac: moderate Raymond Barre with 16.5% and extreme rightist Le Pen with a surprising 14.4%. It was clear that Chirac would have to somehow appeal to the far different kinds of supporters of these two candidates to catch Mitterrand.

Most analysts say they believe the Chirac camp botched this. The blame fell mainly on Interior Minister Charles Pasqua, Chirac’s campaign strategist, who, while trying to woo Le Pen, told an interviewer a week ago that he believed that the National Front party of Le Pen had “the same values” as Chirac and his allies.

Because Le Pen, his party and its anti-immigration platform are looked upon as racist by many French, the quote surely cost Chirac some vital centrist votes. Moreover, it failed to prompt any ringing support from Le Pen, who told his followers that they should make up their own minds.