The corruption trial of former French president Jacques Chirac got under way Monday in Paris, in the absence of the frail 78-year-old politician, DPA reported.
The allegations against Chirac, who is expected to attend the second day of hearings Tuesday, date to the early 1990s, when he was mayor of Paris.
He is accused of creating fake jobs for friends in his then Rally for the Republic (RPR) party, which was the forerunner to the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP).
Chirac allegedly made 28 members of his party city employees.
Chirac, who then went on to serve two terms as president between 1995 and 2007, could face 10 years in prison if convicted of the charges, although a prison term is deemed very unlikely in such circumstances.
The allegations arose while Chirac was still president but at the time he enjoyed immunity from prosecution.
Nine other people are also on trial.
One of the defendants, his former chief of staff Remy Chardon, is seeking to have the case adjourned on a technicality relating to the merging of two cases.