Who became president of France in 1995?

Jacques René Chirac (born 29 November 1932) is a French politician, who served as the President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra from 1995 to 2007. Chirac served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976, from 1986 to 1988, and as the Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.

Chirac's internal policies initially included lower tax rates, the removal of price controls, strong punishment for crime and terrorism, and business privatization. After pursuing these policies as Prime Minister (1986–1988), Chirac changed his method. He argued for more socially responsible economic policies, and was elected in 1995 after campaigning on a platform of healing the "social rift". Then, Chirac's economic policies, based on  state-directed ideals, stood in opposition to the laissez-faire policies of the United Kingdom, which Chirac famously described as "Anglo-Saxon ultraliberalism".

At the 2002 French presidential election, he won 82.2 % of the vote against the far-right candidate, Jean-Marie Le Pen. During his second term, he gradually saw his approval rating drop, and he decided not to seek re-election.

On 15 December 2011, the Paris court declared him guilty of diverting public funds and abusing public confidence, and gave Chirac a two-year suspended prison sentence.