Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Name	Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Caption	Giscard d'Estaing in 1978
Office	President of France
Term start	27 May 1974
Term end	21 May 1981
Primeminister	Jacques Chirac, Raymond Barre
Predecessor	Georges Pompidou
Successor	François Mitterrand
Office2	Minister of Economy and Finance
Term start2	1962
Term end2	1966
Primeminister2	Georges Pompidou
Predecessor2	Wilfrid Baumgartner
Successor2	Michel Debré
Birth date	2 February 1926
Birth place	Koblenz, Allied-occupied Germany
Death date	2 December 2020 (aged 94)
Death place	Authon, France
Party	National Centre of Independents and Peasants (Before 1966), Independent Republicans (1966–1977), Republican Party (1977–1995), Liberal Democracy (1997–1998), Union for French Democracy (1978–2002)
Spouse	Anne-Aymone Sauvage de Brantes (m. 1952)
Children	4, including Louis Giscard d'Estaing
Alma mater	Lycée Louis-le-Grand, École Polytechnique, École nationale d'administration
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was a French statesman who served as the third President of France from 1974 to 1981. A centrist reformer, his presidency was marked by modernizing social legislation and advancing European integration, though it ended with electoral defeat by François Mitterrand. Before his election, he held key financial posts and founded his own political movement, establishing himself as a major figure in French politics.

Early life and education

Born in Koblenz during the Allied occupation of the Rhineland, he was a scion of an upper-class family with roots in the Auvergne region. He excelled in his studies at the prestigious Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris before being admitted to the École Polytechnique. His education continued at the École nationale d'administration, the elite training ground for France's administrative and political class, graduating in the same promotion as future Prime Minister Jacques Chirac.

Political career before the presidency

Elected to the National Assembly in 1956, he quickly rose through the ranks of the Fourth Republic's finance committees. Appointed Minister of Economy and Finance by President Charles de Gaulle in 1962, he was a key architect of France's postwar economic modernization. After policy disagreements, he left the government and founded the Independent Republicans, a pro-Gaullist but centrist parliamentary group. He returned to the finance ministry under President Georges Pompidou, solidifying his reputation as a skilled technocrat.

Presidency (1974–1981)

Narrowly winning the 1974 French presidential election against François Mitterrand, he sought to modernize French society with reforms such as lowering the voting age to 18, legalizing abortion via the Veil Law, and simplifying divorce procedures. His tenure faced severe economic challenges following the 1973 oil crisis, leading to rising unemployment and inflation. Internationally, he strengthened the Franco-German alliance with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and was a driving force behind the creation of the European Council and the European Monetary System.

Post-presidency and European advocacy

After his defeat in the 1981 French presidential election, he remained an influential elder statesman. He served in the National Assembly and as President of the Regional Council of Auvergne. His deepest commitment was to European integration; he was a central figure in the drafting of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe and served as President of the Convention on the Future of Europe. He was also a member of the Académie française, elected in 2003.

Personal life and death

In 1952, he married Anne-Aymone Sauvage de Brantes, a descendant of Madame de Pompadour; they had four children, including politician Louis Giscard d'Estaing. Known for his aristocratic demeanor and intellectual pursuits, he authored several novels and political essays. He died of COVID-19 complications at his family estate in Authon in December 2020, at the age of 94.

Legacy and honors

He is remembered as a modernizing president who presided over a pivotal period of social change in France. His European legacy is significant, particularly his work on institutional frameworks that preceded the Lisbon Treaty. Among his numerous honors, he was a Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour recipient and was awarded the prestigious Charlemagne Prize in 2003 for his services to European unity.

Category:Presidents of France Category:French finance ministers Category:Members of the Académie française Category:2003 Charlemagne Prize winners