| Biography: |
| When President Georges Pompidou unexpectedly died in , François Mitterrand declared his candidacy as representative of the united left, while the conservatives failed to agree on a candidate. The Gaullists nominated Prime Minister Jacques Chaban-Delmas, but a sizable minority of the UDR declared support for a non-Gaullist, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, who was the leader of the Independent Republicans. Giscard won over Chaban-Delmas in the first round and narrowly defeated Mitterrand in the runoff. The new president declared his goal to be the transformation of France into "an advanced liberal society." As prime minister he chose the young and forceful Jacques Chirac, leader of the Gaullist minority. The new leadership reduced the voting age to 18, legalized abortion within certain limits, and instituted measures to protect the environment. But the course of reform was stalled by the oil crisis of Industrial production slowed, unemployment rose, and inflation threatened. As discontent grew, Giscard's leadership was challenged by his ambitious prime minister, Chirac. Open rivalry between the two men led Giscard to dismiss Chirac in favor of Raymond Barre, a professional economist. These factional conflicts on the right opened new prospects for the coalition of the left, but the Socialist-Communist alliance fell apart and enabled the conservatives to retain control of the National Assembly in the elections. When Giscard's presidential term ended in May , opinion polls seemed to indicate that he would be elected to a second term. He overcame a vigorous challenge by Chirac in the first round of voting and seemed well placed to defeat the Socialist Mitterrand in the runoff. But Mitterrand surprised the pollsters by scoring a slim victory - the first major victory for the left in three decades. |
| Biographical sources: "Valéry Giscard d'Estaing", by Frédéric Abadie and Jean-Pierre Corcelette (Nouveau Monde, ) |
| Elections: |
| Candidate | Popular vote (5 May ) | Popular vote (19 May ) | | registered voters | 30,, | 30,, | | votes cast | 25,, | 26,, | | valid votes | 25,, | 26,, | | absolute majority | 12,, | 13,, | | Jacques-Pierre-Michel Chaban-Delmas | 3,, | - | | René-Fernand Dumont | , | - | | Valéry-René-Marie-Georges Giscard d'Estaing | 8,, | 13,, | | Guy-Maurice-Émile Héraud | 19, | - | | Alain Krivine | 93, | - | | Arlette-Yvonne Laguiller | , | - | | Jean-Marie Le Pen | , | - | | François-Maurice-Adrien-Marie Mitterrand | 11,, | 12,, | | Émile Muller | , | - | | Bertrand Renouvin | 43, | - | | Jean-Auguste-Marie-François Royer | , | - | | Jean-Claude Sebag | 42, | - |
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| Source of electoral results: JORF - Lois et décrets, No. , 8 Mai , p. ; JORF - Lois et décrets, No. , May , p. |
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| [1] | JORF - Lois et décrets, No. , May , p. |
| [2] | Le Monde, No. , 28 May , pp. 1, |
| [3] | Le Monde, num. , 21 Mai |
| [4] | The Decision of the Constitutional Council of 15 May authorised the outgoing President of the Republic to choose any time for the transfer of office, but not later than at 24 May (Journal officiel de la République française. Lois et Décrets. N° Samedi 16 Mai P. ); ceremony of investitute took place 21 May |
| Image: photograph by François Pages. |