1981 French Presidential Election
The left takes the Élysée26 April 1981 and 10 May 1981 · The age of alternance · direct two-round vote
Presidential elections were held in France on 26 April 1981, with a second round on 10 May. François Mitterrand defeated incumbent president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing to become the first Socialist president of the Fifth Republic.
President before
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
UDF
Elected President
François Mitterrand
PS
Winning share
51.8%
second round
Turnout
81.1%
second round 85.8%
The result
| Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | Union for French Democracy | 8 222 432 | 28.32% | 14 642 306 | 48.24% |
| François Mitterrand | Socialist Party | 7 505 960 | 25.85% | 15 708 262 | 51.76% |
| Jacques Chirac | Rally for the Republic | 5 225 848 | 18.00% | — | — |
| Georges Marchais | French Communist Party | 4 456 922 | 15.35% | — | — |
| Brice Lalonde | Political Ecology Movement | 1 126 254 | 3.88% | — | — |
| Arlette Laguiller | Workers' Struggle | 668 057 | 2.30% | — | — |
| Michel Crépeau | Movement of Radicals of the Left | 642 847 | 2.21% | — | — |
| Michel Debré | Rally for the Republic (splinter) | 481 821 | 1.66% | — | — |
| Marie-France Garaud | Rally for the Republic (splinter) | 386 623 | 1.33% | — | — |
| Huguette Bouchardeau | Unified Socialist Party | 321 353 | 1.11% | — | — |