Sick Chirac in Hospital for a Week

President Jacques Chirac has been admitted to hospital for at least a week with a blood vessel problem in his eye that could have been caused by a stroke, it was revealed last night.

Although the problem did not seem serious, it is likely to be seen as another setback for 72-year-old Chirac after a string of political defeats that have left the conservative politician increasingly isolated at home and abroad.

He was taken to a hospital in Paris on Friday evening after reporting eye problems and bad headaches, but was said last night to be alert and consulting advisers.

'He can't wait to leave [hospital],' said Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who was apparently not told until yesterday that the President had been admitted. 'He is on good form.'

Chirac's illness, which has forced him to cancel or delay several appointments this week, is likely to trigger questions about future changes in the French political landscape that Chirac has dominated for a decade.

As supporters played down the severity of his condition, doctors said such a problem could range from a ruptured blood vessel to a stroke, which often affects the vision. More than 80 per cent of strokes are caused by blockage in an artery carrying blood to the brain.

Chirac's office said he had slight difficulties with his sight following a blood vessel problem known as a 'vascular accident'. He would have tests, including a brain scan.

Experts said doctors in such cases would check whether the blood vessel problem was around the eye or further back in the brain. In the worst scenario this could point to a stroke.

Chirac's schedule for the week included a summit on Tuesday with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Germany and a meeting on Friday with Prince Albert of Monaco. De Villepin will chair a cabinet meeting on Wednesday in Chirac's place, the Elysée Palace said.

The illness follows political setbacks for Chirac. Opinion polls have been showing his popularity near to an all-time low after voters in a referendum last May rejected the EU constitution that he had championed.

France has been seeking to rebuild ties with the United States, a relationship which became frayed after he led international opposition to the war in Iraq.

Chirac, who used to smoke heavily and is not thought to take regular exercise, pledged to never speak about his health when he took over the presidency in 1995. His predecessor, Francois Mitterrand, had kept his cancer secret for years.

He has, however, sought to portray himself as dynamic and energetic, reportedly telling off a former minister for hinting publicly that he wore a hearing aid. Chirac has few grey hairs, wears contact lenses rather than glasses and has a year-round tan. Aides say he watches his waistline.

Elysée officials said they believed that Chirac had not previously missed a day's work due to ill health since taking office. His only other known health problem was breaking his pelvis in a car crash in the Seventies.