President Jacques Chirac, 74, announced Sunday that after 12 years in the Élysée Palace he would not seek a third term, clearing the way for a new generation of French leaders to compete for the highest office.Chirac's announcement was expected. His popularity rating has been stuck near a record low; a minor stroke in 2005 has left visible traces on his health; and news magazines published his political obituary some time ago. Indeed, all but a handful of politicians from Chirac's Gaullist party have rallied behind the presidential campaign of his interior minister and rival, Nicolas Sarkozy. But even as he made his own retirement official, the president refused to endorse Sarkozy, a onetime protégé who had publicly expressed hopes for Chirac's backing. "I will not solicit your votes for a new mandate," Chirac said in a prime-time television address, before adding: "As far as the elections are concerned, I will have the opportunity to express my personal choice."
