French presidential election, 1958
Encyclopedia
The French presidential election of 1958, the first of the French Fifth Republic
, took place on December 21, 1958. This was the only French presidential election by the electoral college
(gathering the members of the French Parliament, the Conseils Généraux, the overseas assemblies, and more than 80,000 mayors, deputy mayors and city council members).
To win, a candidate needed to have 50% of the votes cast in his favour. This system was used only for this election, and was changed in the 1962 referendum
in time for the 1965 presidential election
.
French Fifth Republic
The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, introduced on 4 October 1958. The Fifth Republic emerged from the collapse of the French Fourth Republic, replacing the prior parliamentary government with a semi-presidential system...
, took place on December 21, 1958. This was the only French presidential election by the electoral college
Electoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
(gathering the members of the French Parliament, the Conseils Généraux, the overseas assemblies, and more than 80,000 mayors, deputy mayors and city council members).
First round
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles de Gaulle Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969.... |
Union for the New Republic Union des Démocrates pour la République The Union for the Defence of the Republic or Union of Democrats for the Republic , commonly abbreviated UDR, was a Gaullist political party of France from 1968 to 1976.... (UNR) |
62,394 | 78.51% | |
| Georges Marrane Georges Marrane Georges Marrane was a French politician. He was the candidate of the French Communist Party for the presidential election of 1958.... |
French Communist Party French Communist Party The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French... (PCF) |
10,355 | 13.03% | |
| Albert Châtelet Albert Châtelet Albert Châtelet was a French politician and scientist. Châtelet received his teaching degree from the École Normale Supérieure in 1908. After earning a doctorate in 1913, Châtelet became a lecturer at École centrale de Lille and a professor at Université de Lille, rising to the rank of ... |
Union of the Democratic Forces Union of the Democratic Forces The Union of the Democratic Forces was an electoral coalition set up in 1958 by many trade unions, political, and associative organizations to unite the non-communist left opposed to the return of General Charles de Gaulle to power and the French Fifth Republic.All except two of its candidates... (UFD) |
6,721 | 8.46% | |
| Total | 79,470 | 100% | ||
To win, a candidate needed to have 50% of the votes cast in his favour. This system was used only for this election, and was changed in the 1962 referendum
French presidential election referendum, 1962
A referendum on the direct election of the President was held in France on 28 October 1962. It was approved by 62.3% of voters with a 77.0% turnout...
in time for the 1965 presidential election
French presidential election, 1965
The 1965 French presidential election was the first presidential election by direct universal suffrage of the Fifth Republic. It was also the first presidential election by direct universal suffrage since the Second Republic in 1848. It was won by incumbent president Charles de Gaulle who resigned...
.