1974 French Presidential Election
Closest ever runoff5 and 19 May 1974 · The age of alternance · direct two-round vote
In 1969, Georges Pompidou, formerly Prime Minister under the presidency of Charles de Gaulle, was elected President of France for a seven-year term. However, he died in office on 2 April 1974, and the French voters were called to elect his successor.
President before
Alain Poher
(acting President after Georges Pompidou died in April)
Elected President
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
RI
Winning share
50.8%
second round
Turnout
84.2%
second round 87.3%
The result
François Mitterrand
Socialist Party · 11 044 373 votes
49.19%
second round
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
National Federation of the Independent Republicans · 8 326 774 votes
50.81%
second round
Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Union of Democrats for the Republic · 3 857 728 votes
15.11%
first round
Jean Royer
Independent right-wing conservative · 810 540 votes
3.17%
first round
Arlette Laguiller
Workers' Struggle · 595 247 votes
2.33%
first round
René Dumont
Independent environmentalist · 337 800 votes
1.32%
first round
Jean-Marie Le Pen
National Front · 190 921 votes
0.75%
first round
Émile Muller
Democratic Socialist Movement · 176 279 votes
0.69%
first round
Alain Krivine
Revolutionary Communist Front · 93 990 votes
0.37%
first round
Bertrand Renouvin
New French Action · 43 722 votes
0.17%
first round
Jean-Claude Sebag
European Federalist Movement · 42 007 votes
0.16%
first round
Guy Héraud
European federalist · 19 255 votes
0.08%
first round