Au revoir Jacques: Chirac's reign ends

After 45 years in frontline politics, French President Jacques Chirac has announced he will not seek re-election next month.

In a televised address late Sunday (local time) Chirac made a final plea to France to shun extremism. Voters will go to the polls in six weeks time to elect his successor from a new political generation.

In the sombre address, Chirac, 74, recently best known internationally as a scourge of US policy in Iraq, said he was proud of what he had achieved but would have liked to have modernised France more rapidly.