The president of France is the head of state of France, elected by popular vote for five years.

The first officeholder is considered to be Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, who was elected in 1848 but provoked the 1851 self-coup to later proclaim himself emperor as Napoleon III. His coup, which proved popular as he sought the restoration of universal male suffrage previously abolished by the legislature, granted the newly-established Second Empire firm ground.

A was given way again in 1870 through the Third Republic, after the fall of Napoleon III. A 1962 referendum held under the Fifth Republic at the request of President Charles de Gaulle transferred the election of the president of France from an electoral college to a popular vote. Since then, ten presidential elections have taken place. The 25th and current officeholder has been Emmanuel Macron since 14 May 2017.

First Republic (1792–1804)

National Convention

The National Convention (20 September 1792 – 26 October 1795) was led by the President of the National Convention; the presidency rotated fortnightly.

From 1793 the National Convention was dominated by its Committee of Public Safety, in which the leading figures were Georges Danton and then Maximilien Robespierre.

Directory

The Directory was officially led by a president, as stipulated by Article 141 of the Constitution of the Year III. An entirely ceremonial post, the first president was Jean-François Rewbell, who was chosen by lot on 2 November 1795. The Directors conducted their elections privately, with the presidency rotating every three months. The last President was Louis-Jérôme Gohier.Lefebvre & Soboul, p. 199.

The leading figure of the Directory was Paul Barras, the only director to serve throughout the entirety of the Directory’s existence.

Political parties

Directors of the Directory (1 November 1795 – 10 November 1799) Paul Barras2 November 1795 – 9 November 1799 Louis-Mariede la Révellière2 November 1795 – 18 June 1799 Jean-François Rewbell2 November 1795 – 16 May 1799 Lazare Carnot2 November 1795 – 4 September 1797 Étienne-François Letourneur2 November 1795 – 20 May 1797 François Barthélemy20 May – 4 September 1797 Philippe Antoine Merlin4 September 1797 – 18 June 1799 François de Neufchâteau4 September 1797 – 15 May 1798 Jean-Baptiste Treilhard15 May 1798 – 17 June 1799 Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès16 May – 9 November 1799 Roger Ducos18 June – 9 November 1799 Jean-François Moulin18 June – 10 November 1799 Louis-Jérôme Gohier17 June – 10 November 1799

After the Coup of 18 Brumaire (9 November 1799), Barras, Ducos, and Sieyès resigned.Moulin and Gohier, refusing to resign, were arrested by General Moreau.

Consulate

Consuls of the Consulate (10 November 1799 – 18 May 1804) First Consul Second Consul Third Consul Provisional Consuls Napoléon Bonaparte Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès Roger Ducos Consuls Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès Charles-François Lebrun

Napoléon Bonaparte proclaimed himself Emperor of the French in 1804, reigning as Emperor Napoleon I 1804–1814 (First French Empire) and 1815 (Hundred Days).

The monarchy was restored 1814–1815 and 1815–1830 (Bourbon Restoration); again 1830–1848 (July Monarchy).

Second Republic (1848–1852)

President of the Provisional Government of the Republic

Political parties

Portrait Name Term of office Time in office Political party Jacques-Charles Dupont de l'Eure 26 February 1848 9 May 1848 Moderate Republicans 1848

President of the Executive Commission

Political parties

Portrait Name Term of office Time in office Political party François Arago 9 May 1848 24 June 1848 Moderate Republicans 1848

Chief of the Executive Power

Political parties

Portrait Name Term of office Time in office Political party Louis-Eugène Cavaignac 28 June 1848 20 December 1848 Moderate Republicans 1848

President of the Republic Political parties

Nº Portrait Name Term of office;Electoral mandates Time in office Political party 1 Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte 20 December 1848 2 December 1852 Bonapartist 1848

Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaimed himself Emperor of the French in 1852, reigning as Emperor Napoleon III 1852–1870 (Second French Empire).

Third Republic (1870–1940)

President of the Government of National Defense

Political parties

Nº Portrait Name Term of office Time in office Political party— Louis-Jules Trochu 14 September 1870 13 February 1871 Moderate Monarchist (Orléanist)

Chief of the Executive Power Political parties

Nº Portrait Name Term of office Time in office Political party— Adolphe Thiers 17 February 1871 30 August 1871 Moderate Monarchist (Orléanist);Opportunist Republican

Presidents of the Republic Political parties

Nº Portrait Name Term of office Time in office Political party 2 Adolphe Thiers 31 August 1871 24 May 1873 Moderate Monarchist (Orléanist);Opportunist Republican 3 Patrice de MacMahon 24 May 1873 30 January 1879 Monarchist (Legitimist) The Government of Jules Armand Dufaure deputised during the interim (30 January 1879). 4 Jules Grévy 30 January 1879 2 December 1887 Opportunist Republican The Government of Maurice Rouvier deputised during the interim (2–3 December 1887). 5 Sadi Carnot 3 December 1887 25 June 1894 Opportunist Republican The Government of Charles Dupuy deputised during the interim (25–27 June 1894). 6 Jean Casimir-Perier 27 June 1894 16 January 1895 Opportunist Republican The Government of Charles Dupuy deputised during the interim (16–17 January 1895). 7 Félix Faure 17 January 1895 16 February 1899 Opportunist Republican;Progressive Republican The Government of Charles Dupuy deputised during the interim (16–18 February 1899). 8 Émile Loubet 18 February 1899 18 February 1906 Democratic Republican Alliance 9 Armand Fallières 18 February 1906 18 February 1913 Democratic Republican Alliance;then Democratic Republican Party 10 Raymond Poincaré 18 February 1913 18 February 1920 Democratic Republican Party;then Democratic Republican Alliance 11 Paul Deschanel 18 February 1920 21 September 1920 Democratic Republican Alliance;then Democratic Republican and Social Party The Government of Alexandre Millerand deputised during the interim (21–23 September 1920). 12 Alexandre Millerand 23 September 1920 11 June 1924 Independent The Government of Frédéric François-Marsal deputised during the interim (11–13 June 1924). 13 Gaston Doumergue 13 June 1924 13 June 1931 Radical-Socialist and Radical Republican Party 14 Paul Doumer 13 June 1931 7 May 1932 Independent The Government of André Tardieu deputised during the interim (7–10 May 1932). 15 Albert Lebrun 10 May 1932 11 July 1940 Democratic Alliance

The office of President of the French Republic did not exist from 1940 until 1947.

French State (1940–1944)

Head of State Nº Portrait Name Term of office Time in office Political party— Philippe Pétain 11 July 1940 19 August 1944 1940

Government-in-exile (1940–1944)

President of the French National Committee Portrait Name Term of office Time in office Political party Charles de Gaulle 18 June 1940 3 June 1944 1940

Provisional Government of the French Republic (1944–1946)

Chairmen of the Provisional Government

Political parties

Nº Portrait Name Term of office Time in office Political party— Charles de Gaulle 3 June 1944 26 January 1946 Independent 1944 — Félix Gouin 26 January 1946 24 June 1946 French Section of the Workers International 1945 — Georges Bidault 24 June 1946 28 November 1946 Popular Republican Movement 1946 — Vincent Auriol 28 November 1946 16 December 1946 French Section of the Workers' International 1946 — Léon Blum 16 December 1946 16 January 1947 French Section of the Workers' International1946

Fourth Republic (1946–1958)

Presidents Political parties

Nº Portrait Name Term of office;Electoral mandates Time in office Political party 16 Vincent Auriol 16 January 1947 16 January 1954 French Section of the Workers' International 1947 17 René Coty 16 January 1954 8 January 1959 National Centre of Independents and Peasants 1953

Fifth Republic (1958–present)

Presidents Political parties

Nº Portrait Name Term of office;Electoral mandates Time in office Political party 18 Charles de Gaulle 8 January 1959 28 April 1969 Union for the New Republic 1958, 1965 — Alain Poher 28 April 1969 20 June 1969 Democratic Centre 19 Georges Pompidou 20 June 1969 2 April 1974 Union of Democrats for the Republic 1969 — Alain Poher 2 April 1974 27 May 1974 Democratic Centre 20 Valéry Giscard d'Estaing 27 May 1974 21 May 1981 Independent Republicans 1974 21 François Mitterrand 21 May 1981 17 May 1995 Socialist Party 1981, 1988 22 Jacques Chirac 17 May 1995 16 May 2007 Rally for the Republic Union for a Popular Movement 1995, 2002 Nicolas Sarkozy 16 May 2007 15 May 2012 Union for a Popular Movement 2007 François Hollande 15 May 2012 14 May 2017 Socialist Party 2012 Emmanuel Macron 14 May 2017 Incumbent La République En Marche! 2017, 2022

Timeline

See also List of presidents of France by tenure Prime Minister of France List of prime ministers of France

Notes

References

de:Liste der Staatsoberhäupter Frankreichs#Zweite Republik