Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

Biography

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1926-2020) was President of France from 1974 to 1981, seen as a modernizing force in French politics during a time of major social and economic change. Born in Koblenz, Germany, into a notable French family, he got an elite education at top French schools like Lycée Louis-le-Grand, Lycée Janson-de-Sailly, École polytechnique, and École nationale d'administration. He kicked off his political career by serving as Minister of Finance under Prime Ministers Jacques Chaban-Delmas and Pierre Messmer, building a reputation as an economic expert with liberal views. In 1974, he narrowly won the presidential election with 50.8% against Socialist François Mitterrand, becoming France's third president under the Fifth Republic. His term marked a shift from traditional Gaullism, focusing on social liberalization and European integration. He pushed through significant changes in laws about divorce, contraception, and abortion rights, while launching major infrastructure projects like the TGV high-speed rail system and growing France's nuclear energy program. He also started large cultural projects in Paris, such as the Grande Arche, Musée d'Orsay, Arab World Institute, and Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie. Yet, his presidency faced major challenges, especially the economic troubles after the 1973 oil crisis, which ended France's post-war economic growth known as the Trente Glorieuses. He responded by putting in austerity measures and allowing unemployment to rise to control deficits, policies that hurt his popularity. Despite fairly high approval ratings, he lost the 1981 presidential election to Mitterrand with 48.2% of the vote. After leaving office, Giscard d'Estaing stayed active in public life, leading the Regional Council of Auvergne from 1986 to 2004 and holding a seat on the Constitutional Council as a former president. He stayed involved in European matters throughout his later years.