1988 French Presidential Election
24 April 1988 and 8 May 1988 · The age of alternance · direct two-round vote
In 1981, the Socialist Party leader, François Mitterrand, was elected President of France and the Left won the legislative election. However, in 1986, the right regained a parliamentary majority.
President before
François Mitterrand
PS
President (re-elected)
François Mitterrand
PS
Winning share
54.0%
second round
Turnout
81.4%
second round 84.1%
The result
| François Mitterrand | Socialist Party | 10 367 220 | 34.10% | 16 704 279 | 54.02% |
| Jacques Chirac | Rally for the Republic | 6 063 514 | 19.94% | 14 218 970 | 45.98% |
| Raymond Barre | Union for French Democracy | 5 031 849 | 16.55% | — | — |
| Jean-Marie Le Pen | National Front | 4 375 894 | 14.39% | — | — |
| André Lajoinie | French Communist Party | 2 055 995 | 6.76% | — | — |
| Antoine Waechter | The Greens | 1 149 642 | 3.78% | — | — |
| Pierre Juquin | Independent communist | 639 084 | 2.10% | — | — |
| Arlette Laguiller | Workers' Struggle | 606 017 | 1.99% | — | — |
| Pierre Boussel | Movement for a Workers' Party | 116 823 | 0.38% | — | — |