1974 French presidential election facts for kids
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Results of the second round: the candidate with the plurality of votes in each administrative division. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing François Mitterrand
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In 1974, France held a special election to choose its new President. This election happened because the previous President, Georges Pompidou, sadly passed away. The election was very close and needed two rounds of voting. In the end, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing won by a small amount, just 1.6% more votes than his opponent. This makes it the closest presidential election in French history so far!
Contents
What is a President?
In France, the President is the head of the country. They are like the leader of the government and represent France to the rest of the world. The President is chosen by the people through an election.
Why a New Election?
A presidential election usually happens every seven years in France. However, if the President leaves office early, like if they resign or pass away, a new election must be held quickly. This is what happened in 1974 when President Georges Pompidou died in April. This meant the French people needed to vote for a new leader sooner than expected.
The Main Candidates
Two main candidates stood out in this election:
- Valéry Giscard d'Estaing: He was from the Independent Republicans party. He had served in the government before as the Minister of Economy and Finance.
- François Mitterrand: He was the leader of the Socialist Party. He had also run for president before in 1965.
How the Election Worked
French presidential elections use a special system called a "two-round" system.
- First Round: On May 5, 1974, people voted for their favorite candidate. If one candidate gets more than half of all the votes (an absolute majority), they win right away.
- Second Round: If no one wins in the first round, the two candidates with the most votes go to a second round. This second vote is held a few weeks later. On May 19, 1974, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and François Mitterrand competed in this final round. The person who gets the most votes in the second round wins the election.
The Results
The election was very exciting because it was so close!
- In the first round, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing received about 32.6% of the votes, and François Mitterrand got about 43.2%. Since neither got over 50%, they moved to the second round.
- The second round was held two weeks later. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing won with 50.8% of the votes. François Mitterrand received 49.2%. This difference of only 1.6% made it the closest presidential election in French history.
What Happened Next?
After winning, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing became the new President of France. He was the first non-Gaullist (meaning not from Charles de Gaulle's political family) to become President of the Fifth Republic. He was also the youngest president at the time, at 48 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Elecciones presidenciales de Francia de 1974 para niños
