EU chief leads tributes after death of Chirac at 86

EUROPEAN Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU has lost one of the strongest defenders of European unity with the death of former French President Jacques Chirac.

Mr Juncker said Mr Chirac (right) will leave an indelible mark on the EU, and added that he was also losing a “dear personal friend”.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the former president, who died yesterday at the age of 86, “was an outstanding partner and friend to us Germans and to me personally”.

Mr Chirac was in office when Mrs Merkel came to power in 2005 and was the first of four French Presidents she has worked with.

Mrs Merkel said: “I am mourning a great statesman and European together with his family and the French people.” Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Mr Chirac for his “intellect and great knowledge” and ability to make “balanced decisions”.

Though Chirac’s presidency was marred by corruption scandals and political tensions, the French remembered him fondly, both for his personal touch and his courage to stand up to the United States.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said the city was mourning the death of Mr Chirac, who was the mayor of the French capital for 18 years.

Ms Hidalgo paid tribute to a “huge humanist figure who marked the country’s history”, saying: “For us Parisians he will be our mayor forever, loving this city and its inhabitants with passion.”

Mr Chirac’s successor for the French presidency, Nicolas Sarkozy, tweeted that “his memory will remain in France’s history as in the heart of all our citizens”.

Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said: “When we discussed tough issues, his humour always brought a sense of relief.

“But it is especially his attachment to the European project that turned him into the real statesman that we will miss.” STEPS star Ian ‘H’ Watkins will be hoping his years of performing dance routines will transfer to the rink as he has joined Dancing On Ice.

The pop singer is the fifth star to be confirmed for the ice skating series and will join the likes of TV presenter Michael Barrymore and Love Island star Maura Higgins when it returns to screens next year.

After he was revealed as the latest competitor, Watkins said: “I have frantically been YouTubing (previous contestants) James Jordan and Ray Quinn.

“I have kids now so it’s a skill I can learn and take my kids to the ice.

“It’s scary and exciting and now there’s no turning back.”