Presidents of France Timeline 1848-Present Day

The first elected President of France winning the 1848 election with a clear majority. He was the nephew of Napoleon I. In 1851 he led a successful coup and declared himself Emperor of France a position he held until September 1870

A critical opponent of Louis-Napoleon he took over as President of France after Louis-Napoleon’s government fell due to the Franco-Prussian War. He was unpopular and wanted to resign in 1872 but was persuaded to continue to 1873.

He was the Marshall of France and took over from Adolphe Thiers. The French Constitutional Laws that made France a Republic were passed in 1875. Mac-Mahon resigned in 1879.

Took over after the resignation of Mac-Mahon. He was re-elected as President in 1885 but had to resign in 1887 after his son was implicated in an honours scandal.

Carnot was elected President following the resignation of Grévy. He was a popular President who had overseen the centenary celebrations of the French Revolution in 1889. He was assassinated on 25th June 1894

Became President following the assassination of Carnot. He resigned after just six months in office.

Became President following the resignation of Perier. Was President during the Dreyfus affair. He died while in office.

Became President following the death of Faure, served for seven years but did not seek election.

Elected president in 1906. He was president during Agadir crisis and the forming of the Triple Entente. He did not seek re-election.

President of France during the First World War

President for eight months then resigned due to ill health

Millerand was an independent socialist who was President for four years before he resigned

He was the first Protestant President. He was anti Germany.

Assassinated after 11 months in office

Served a seven year term then was re-elected but then World War Two broke out and France was occupied by the Nazis. Marshall Petain allied himself with the Germans and was treated as President.

First President of the fourth Republic – after 7 years without a President

President during the Algerian war he resigned after 5 years

Took over following the resignation of Coty in order to resolve the Algerian war. He introduced a new constitution thus creating the fifth Republic. He was re-elected in 1965. He resigned in 1969

Served as interim President while an election was held to find de Gaulle’s successor

Former Prime Minister Georges Pompidou died before the end of his term

Served as interim President for a second time while and election was held to find Pompidou’s successor.

Had previously served under de Gaulle. He brought in several reforms including lowering the age of majority to 18 from 21. He lost the 1981 election to Mitterand.

Mitterand was the founder of the Socialist party in France and was elected as president in 1981. He was re-elected in 1988 and retired at the end of his second term. He was the longest serving President of the fifth Republic

Chirac had served as Prime Minister twice from 1974-76 and 1986-88. He was re-elected in 2002 and during his second term the term of office for President was reduced from 7 years to 5 years.

Had previously served in a number of ministerial roles. While he was president he also served as President of the Council of the EU in 2008 as well as President of the G8 and G20 in 2011. He stood for re-election but was defeated.

Hollande defeated Sarkozy to become the second Socialist President.

Macron defeated Marine le Penn to become the first Centrist President. He saw France through the Covid-19 pandemic and was re-elected in April 2022 with a reduced share of the vote.