People so got used to socialist Mitterand that they do not realize that Chirac must be different. However, to prove this point, I'd rather provide this link for the American audience, http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2002/france.election/. The article is short, to the point and comes from the trusted source.
... and for the non-American audience: Chirac sweeps aside left and Le Pen "France swung to the right yesterday as voters fed up with their fourth trip to the polling booth in less than two months, handed a sweeping parliamentary majority to President Jacques Chirac's centre-right" http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,11882,738896,00.html regards wild