1958 French presidential election

1958 French presidential election

21 December 1958
Electoral college of France
Registered	81,764
Turnout	99.42%
Candidate Charles de Gaulle Georges Marrane Albert Châtelet Party UNR PCF UFD Electoral vote 62,394 10,355 6,721 Percentage 78.51% 13.03% 8.46%
President before election René Coty CNIP Elected President Charles de Gaulle UNR

The 1958 French presidential election was the first held under the French Fifth Republic, on 21 December. It was the sole presidential election by electoral college (gathering the members of the French Parliament, the general councils, the overseas assemblies, as well as tens of thousands of mayors, deputy mayors and municipal councillors) under the Fifth Republic. To win, a candidate was required to receive over 50% of the vote. This system was used solely for this election, as it was abolished following a 1962 referendum.^[1][2][3]

Charles de Gaulle, who became President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) after the May 1958 crisis amid the Algerian War, won in a landslide victory in the first round of voting with 78.5% of the votes cast, against Georges Marrane of the French Communist Party and Albert Châtelet of the Union of Democratic Forces.^[4] De Gaulle took office on 8 January 1959; following the 1962 referendum, he established direct universal suffrage for presidential elections, starting in 1965, which saw him win reelection to a second term.^[5]

See also

• List of indirect presidential elections in France
• Presidency of Charles de Gaulle

References

1. Philip Thody (1989). French Caesarism from Napoleon I to Charles de Gaulle. Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 105–. ISBN 978-1-349-20089-4.
2. "Constitution du 4 octobre 1958 - Texte originel - Sénat". www.senat.fr. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
3. Philip Thody (1989). French Caesarism from Napoleon I to Charles de Gaulle. Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 105–. ISBN 978-1-349-20089-4.
4. Condette, Jean-François Condette (2009). Roger, Philippe (ed.). Le Nord-Pas-de-Calais en 1958. Histoire de l'Europe du Nord-Ouest (in French). Villeneuve-d'Ascq: IRHIS, CEGES, Université Charles de Gaulle-Lille 3. ISBN 978-2-905637-60-4.
5. Susana Galera (1 January 2010). Judicial Review: A Comparative Analysis Inside the European Legal System. Council of Europe. pp. 71–. ISBN 978-92-871-6723-1.