“Absent,” came the reply when the presiding judge called out his name at the start of a trial that should have seen the first French former head of state in the dock since World War II.
Judge Dominique Pauthe was expected to begin proceedings by responding to the medical report. His options include postponing the case, seeking further medical opinion, or continuing hearings with Chirac represented by lawyers.
Chirac, best known internationally for his opposition to the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, has been linked to a series of corruption scandals but was never convicted.
The right-winger stands accused of illegal party funding ahead of his successful 1995 presidency bid.
If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine of $2,10,000 on charges that include embezzlement and breach of trust during the years he served as mayor of Paris.
Chirac is the first French former head of state to face criminal charges since the leader of the collaborationist wartime regime, Marshal Philippe Petain, was convicted of treason after World War II.
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