There is little public appetite in France to see Jacques Chirac become the first former head of state to stand trial. Since leaving office in 2007, Mr Chirac has turned from unpopular president into grandfather of the nation. So all credit to Xavière Simeoni, the investigating magistrate, for formally charging the retired leader with abuse of public funds and breach of trust during his time as mayor of Paris.

The move against Mr Chirac reinforces the sense that the French courts are now readier to take action against politicians accused of wrongdoing. Last week, Charles Pasqua, the French senator and former interior minister, was sentenced to one year in prison for his part in an Angolan arms-trafficking scandal.