Second Republic There was one presidential election in France during the government known as the
Second Republic (1848–1851). It was held in 1848. The president was elected by direct popular vote.
Third Republic There were 15 presidential elections in France during the government known as the
Third Republic (1870–1940). According to the
Constitutional Laws of 1875, the President was elected by an absolute majority of votes by the two houses of the Parliament assembled at the
National Assembly.
Fourth Republic There were two presidential elections in France during the republican government known as the
Fourth Republic (1946–1958). They were held in 1947 and 1953. The president was elected by the
Congress of the French Parliament, a joint meeting of both houses of the
French Parliament (the
National Assembly and the
Council of the Republic).
Fifth Republic There have been twelve presidential elections in France since the establishment of the Fifth Republic in 1958. Originally the president was elected by an electoral college comprising the members of French Parliament, the general councils and the assemblies of the overseas territories, as well as the elected representatives of the municipal councils. This electoral college included around 80,000 departmental and municipal councillors (who had been elected locally). Until a
24 September 2000 constitutional referendum, the president had been elected for a seven-year term since 1958. With the referendum being successful, the term was reduced to five years. Therefore once the winner of the
2002 election,
Jacques Chirac, took office as president, the next election was scheduled for
2007 rather than 2009. Currently, the
President of the French Republic is elected to a five-year term in a two-round election under Article 7 of the
Constitution: if no candidate secures an absolute majority (including blank and void ballots) of votes in the first round, a second round is held two weeks later between the two candidates who received the most votes.
every election since the direct election system was introduced has gone to a second round. The most recent election took place in
2022, with the first round being held on 10 April and the second round on 24 April. == See also ==