List of presidents of France

The president of France is the head of state of France, elected by popular vote for five years.

The first officeholder is considered to be Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, who was elected in 1848 but provoked the 1851 self-coup to later proclaim himself emperor as Napoleon III. His coup, which proved popular as he sought the restoration of universal male suffrage previously abolished by the legislature, granted the newly-established Second Empire firm ground.

A republican regime was given way again in 1870 through the Third Republic, after the fall of Napoleon III. A 1962 referendum held under the Fifth Republic at the request of President Charles de Gaulle transferred the election of the president of France from an electoral college to a popular vote. Since then, ten presidential elections have taken place. The 25th and current officeholder has been Emmanuel Macron since 14 May 2017.

The National Convention (20 September 1792 – 26 October 1795) was led by the President of the National Convention; the presidency rotated fortnightly.

From 1793 the National Convention was dominated by its Committee of Public Safety, in which the leading figures were Georges Danton and then Maximilien Robespierre.

The Directory was officially led by a president, as stipulated by Article 141 of the Constitution of the Year III. An entirely ceremonial post, the first president was Jean-François Rewbell, who was chosen by lot on 2 November 1795. The Directors conducted their elections privately, with the presidency rotating every three months.^[1] The last President was Louis-Jérôme Gohier.^[2]

The leading figure of the Directory was Paul Barras, the only director to serve throughout the Directory.

Political parties

  Centre (Thermidorians)        Right-wing (Clichyens)        Left-wing (Montagnards)        Other (Maraisards)

After the Coup of 18 Brumaire (9 November 1799), Barras, Ducos, and Sieyès resigned.
Moulin and Gohier, refusing to resign, were arrested by General Moreau.

Napoléon Bonaparte proclaimed himself Emperor of the French in 1804, reigning as Emperor Napoleon I 1804–1814 (First French Empire) and 1815 (Hundred Days).

The monarchy was restored 1814–1815 and 1815–1830 (Bourbon Restoration); again 1830–1848 (July Monarchy).

Political parties

  Moderate Republicans

Political parties

  Moderate Republicans

Political parties

  Moderate Republicans

Political parties

   Bonapartist

Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaimed himself Emperor of the French in 1852, reigning as Emperor Napoleon III 1852–1870 (Second French Empire).

Political parties

   Monarchist

Political parties

   Independent

Nº	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office	Time in office	Political party
—		Adolphe Thiers[8] (1797–1877)	17 February 1871	30 August 1871	194 days	Moderate Monarchist (Orléanist); Opportunist Republican
Elected Chief of the Executive Power by the National Assembly, following the Siege of Paris, and established a government with a republican majority. After fighting to re-establish state control over the Paris Commune and securing the withdrawal of the German Army from France, he was elected President of the Republic by the National Assembly.

Political parties

   Monarchist
   Moderate Republican
   Democratic Republican Alliance; Democratic Republican Party; Social and Republican Democratic Party; Democratic Alliance
   Radical-Socialist and Radical Republican Party
   Independent

Nº	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office	Time in office	Political party
2		Adolphe Thiers[9] (1797–1877)	31 August 1871	24 May 1873	1 year, 266 days	Moderate Monarchist (Orléanist); Opportunist Republican
Initially a moderate monarchist, named President of France following the adoption of the Rivet law, establishing provisional republican institutions. He became a supporter of the Third Republic during his term. He resigned in the face of hostility from the National Assembly, largely in favour of a return to the monarchy.
3		Patrice de MacMahon[10] (1808–1893)	24 May 1873	30 January 1879	5 years, 251 days	Monarchist (Legitimist)
A Marshal of France, he was the only monarchist (and only Duke) to serve as President of the Third Republic. He resigned shortly after the republican victory in the January 1879 legislative election, following a previous republican victory in 1877, after his decision to dissolve the Chamber of Deputies. During his term, the Constitutional Laws of 1875 that served as the Constitution of the Third Republic were passed; he therefore became the first President under the constitutional settlement that would last until 1940.
The Government of Jules Armand Dufaure deputized during the interim (30 January 1879).
4		Jules Grévy[11] (1807–1891)	30 January 1879	2 December 1887	8 years, 306 days	Opportunist Republican
The first President of France to complete a full term, he was easily reelected in December 1885. He was nonetheless forced to resign, following an honours scandal in which his son-in-law was implicated.
The Government of Maurice Rouvier deputized during the interim (2–3 December 1887).
5		Sadi Carnot[12] (1837–1894)	3 December 1887	25 June 1894†	6 years, 205 days	Opportunist Republican
His term was marked by Boulangist unrest and the Panama scandals, as well as by diplomacy with Russia. Assassinated (stabbed) by Sante Geronimo Caserio a few months before the end of his term, he is interred at the Panthéon.
The Government of Charles Dupuy deputized during the interim (25–27 June 1894).
6		Jean Casimir-Perier[13] (1847–1907)	27 June 1894	16 January 1895	205 days	Opportunist Republican
Casimir-Perier's was the shortest presidential term: he resigned after six months and 20 days.
The Government of Charles Dupuy deputized during the interim (16–17 January 1895).
7		Félix Faure[14] (1841–1899)	17 January 1895	16 February 1899†	4 years, 30 days	Opportunist Republican; Progressive Republican
Pursued colonial expansion and ties with Russia. President during the Dreyfus affair. Four years into his term, he died of apoplexy at the Élysée Palace.
The Government of Charles Dupuy deputized during the interim (16–18 February 1899).
8		Émile Loubet[15] (1838–1929)	18 February 1899	18 February 1906	7 years, 0 days	Democratic Republican Alliance
During his seven-year term, the 1905 law on the Separation of the Churches and the State was adopted. He did not seek reelection at the end of his term.
9		Armand Fallières[16] (1841–1931)	18 February 1906	18 February 1913	7 years, 0 days	Democratic Republican Alliance; then Democratic Republican Party
President during the Agadir Crisis, when French troops first occupied Morocco. He was a party to the Triple Entente, which he strengthened by diplomacy. Like his predecessor, he did not seek reelection.
10		Raymond Poincaré[17] (1860–1934)	18 February 1913	18 February 1920	7 years, 0 days	Democratic Republican Party; then Democratic Republican Alliance
President during World War I. He subsequently served as Prime minister, 1922–1924 and 1926–1929.
11		Paul Deschanel[18] (1855–1922)	18 February 1920	21 September 1920	247 days	Democratic Republican Alliance; then Democratic Republican and Social Party
An intellectual elected to the Académie Française, he overcame the popular Georges Clemenceau, to general surprise, in the January 1920 election. He resigned after eight months due to health problems.
The Government of Alexandre Millerand deputized during the interim (21–23 September 1920).
12		Alexandre Millerand[19] (1859–1943)	23 September 1920	11 June 1924	3 years, 262 days	Independent
An "Independent Socialist" increasingly drawn to the right, he resigned after four years following the victory of the Cartel des Gauches in the 1924 legislative election.
The Government of Frédéric François-Marsal deputized during the interim (11–13 June 1924).
13		Gaston Doumergue[20] (1863–1937)	13 June 1924	13 June 1931	7 years, 0 days	Radical-Socialist and Radical Republican Party
The first Protestant President, he took a firm political stance against Germany and its resurgent nationalism. His seven-year term was marked by ministerial discontinuity.
14		Paul Doumer[21] (1857–1932)	13 June 1931	7 May 1932†	329 days	Independent
Elected in the second round of the 1931 election, having defeated Aristide Briand. Assassinated (shot) by the mentally unstable Paul Gorguloff.
The Government of André Tardieu deputized during the interim (7–10 May 1932).
15		Albert Lebrun[22] (1871–1950)	10 May 1932	11 July 1940 (de facto)	8 years, 32 days	Democratic Alliance
Reelected in 1939, his second term was interrupted by the rise to power of Marshal Philippe Pétain.

The office of President of the French Republic did not exist from 1940 until 1947.

Political parties   Socialist (SFIO)   Centre-right (MRP)

Political parties

  Socialist (SFIO)   Centre-right (CNIP)

Political parties:   Centre-left (PS) (2)   Centrist (RE) (1)   Centre-right (CD; RI; PR; UDF) (1)   Gaullist (UNR; UDR) (2)   Neo-Gaullist (RPR; UMP; LR) (2)

Nº	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office; Electoral mandates	Time in office	Political party
18		Charles de Gaulle[25] (1890–1970)	8 January 1959	28 April 1969	10 years, 110 days	Union for the New Republic (renamed Union of Democrats for the Fifth Republic in 1967)
1958, 1965
Leader of the Free French Forces, 1940–1944. President of the Provisional Government, 1944–1946. Appointed President of the Council by René Coty in May 1958, to resolve the crisis of the Algerian War. Supported by referendum, he adopted a new Constitution of France, thus founding the Fifth Republic. Easily elected to the presidency in the 1958 election by electoral college, he took office the following month; having modified the presidential election procedure in the 1962 referendum, he was reelected by universal suffrage in the 1965 election. Launched the Force de dissuasion in 1961. He signed the Élysée Treaty in 1963, building Franco-German cooperation, a key to European integration. In 1966, he withdrew France from NATO integrated military command and had American military personnel stationed on French soil sent home. Supported Quebec sovereignty. Faced the May 68 civil unrest. Resigned following the failure of the 1969 referendum on regionalisation.
—		Alain Poher[26] Acting (1909–1996)	28 April 1969	20 June 1969	53 days	Democratic Centre
Interim President of France, as President of the Senate. Stood in the 1969 election but was defeated in the second round by Georges Pompidou.
19		Georges Pompidou[27] (1911–1974)	20 June 1969	2 April 1974†	4 years, 286 days	Union of Democrats for the Republic
1969
Prime Minister under Charles de Gaulle, 1962–1968. Elected to the presidency in the 1969 election against centrist Alain Poher. Favoured European integration. Supported economic modernisation and industrialisation, most notably through the TGV high-speed rail project. Faced the 1973 oil crisis. Died in office of Waldenström macroglobulinemia, two years before the end of his term.
—		Alain Poher[26] Acting (1909–1996)	2 April 1974	27 May 1974	55 days	Democratic Centre
Interim President of France again, as President of the Senate. Did not stand in the 1974 election.
20		Valéry Giscard d'Estaing[28] (1926–2020)	27 May 1974	21 May 1981	6 years, 359 days	Independent Republicans (renamed Republican Party in 1977) (within the Union for French Democracy from 1978)
1974
Founder of the Independent Republicans and later the Union for French Democracy in his efforts to unify the centre-right, he served in several Gaullist governments. Narrowly elected in the 1974 election, he instigated numerous reforms, including the lowering of the age of civil majority from 21 to 18 and legalisation of abortion. He soon faced a global economic crisis and rising unemployment. Although the polls initially gave him a lead, he was defeated in the 1981 election by François Mitterrand, partly due to disunion within the right.
21		François Mitterrand[29] (1916–1996)	21 May 1981	17 May 1995	13 years, 361 days	Socialist Party
1981, 1988
Candidate of a united left-wing ticket in the 1965 election, he founded the Socialist Party in 1971. Having narrowly lost in 1974, he was finally elected in 1981. Mitterrand supervised a series of Great Works, the best known of which is the Louvre Pyramid. He instigated the abolition of the death penalty. After the right-wing victory in the 1986 legislative election, he named Jacques Chirac as Prime Minister, thus beginning the first cohabitation. Reelected in the 1988 election against Chirac, he was again forced to cohabit with Édouard Balladur following the 1993 legislative election. He retired in 1995 after the conclusion of his second term. He was the first left-wing President of the Fifth Republic; his presidential tenure was the longest of any French Republic.
22		Jacques Chirac[30] (1932–2019)	17 May 1995	16 May 2007	11 years, 364 days	Rally for the Republic (until 2002) Union for a Popular Movement (from 2002)
1995, 2002
Prime Minister, 1974–1976; upon resignation, founded the Rally for the Republic. Eliminated in the first round of the 1981 election, he again served as Prime Minister, 1986–1988. Defeated in the 1988 election, he was elected in 1995. He engaged in social reforms to counter "social fracture". In 1997, he dissolved the National Assembly; a left-wing victory in the 1997 legislative election forced him to name Lionel Jospin Prime Minister for a five-year cohabitation. Presidential terms reduced from seven to five years after approval by referendum. In 2002, he was easily reelected against Jean-Marie Le Pen. Sent troops to Afghanistan, but opposed the Iraq War. Declined to seek a third term in 2007 and retired from political life.
23		Nicolas Sarkozy[31] (b. 1955)	16 May 2007	15 May 2012	4 years, 365 days	Union for a Popular Movement
2007
Served in numerous ministerial posts, 1993–1995 and 2002–2007. Easily elected to the leadership of the Union for a Popular Movement in 2004. Elected to the presidency in 2007, defeating Socialist Ségolène Royal. Soon after taking office, he introduced a new fiscal package and other laws to counter illegal immigration and recidivism. President of the Council of the EU in 2008, he defended the Treaty of Lisbon and mediated in the Russo-Georgian War; reintroduced France to NATO integrated military command; President of the G8 and G20 in 2011. At national level, he had to deal with the consequences of the Great Recession. Following the 2008 constitutional reform, he became the first President of France since Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte to address the Versailles Congress on 22 June 2009. He introduced education and pension reforms. Sent troops to Libya (Operation Harmattan) in 2011. Narrowly defeated in the runoff of the 2012 election.
24		François Hollande[32] (b. 1954)	15 May 2012	14 May 2017	4 years, 364 days	Socialist Party
2012
Served as First Secretary of the Socialist Party, 1997–2008 and President of the General Council of Corrèze, 2008–2012. Elected in 2012, defeating Nicolas Sarkozy. Legalised same-sex marriage and restricted dual mandates. Militarily intervened in Mali (Operation Serval), in the Central African Republic (Operation Sangaris) and in Iraq and Syria (Operation Chammal). Paris suffered Islamic terrorist attacks in January 2015 and November 2015, as well as Nice in July 2016. Hosted the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference. Did not seek reelection in the 2017 election, for which polls suggested his defeat in the first round.
25		Emmanuel Macron[33] (b. 1977)	14 May 2017	Incumbent (term expires in May 2027)	7 years, 286 days	La République En Marche! (renamed Renaissance in 2022)
2017, 2022
Served as Élysée Deputy Secretary-General, 2012–2014 and Minister of the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs, 2014–2016. Easily defeated Marine Le Pen in the 2017 election in which he ran as a centrist. Youngest President in the history of France. Has encountered massive demonstrations, most notably the yellow vests protests, since 2018 over his policy orientations and style of governance. Hosted the 2019 G7 summit. Faced the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, reelected with a reduced majority against Le Pen, losing the government's ruling majority in the National Assembly.

• List of presidents of France by tenure
• List of prime ministers of France