[JURIST] French President Jacques Chirac has accepted the resignation [Elysee Palace press release, in French] of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin [official profile] just two days after French voters turned down the proposed European constituton [JURIST report] in a referendum that was seen by many as a rejection of the current government. Raffarin, who in a TV address insisted that he took the decision on other grounds, has been replaced by Dominique de Villepin [official profile, in French; BBC profile], the former French Interior Minister and Foreign Minister best known to international observers for his strong stance against the Iraq war at the UN in early 2003. Chirac is due to address the French people on the governmental change on TV Tuesday evening. BBC News has more.