French Presidents – Complete List in Order Since 1945

Complete List of French Presidents in Order (Updated 2025) | Spouses & Timeline

France’s modern presidency begins after World War II. Since 1945, the nation has been led by ten heads of state, spanning the final years of the Fourth Republic and the entire Fifth Republic. The official Élysée list names 25 presidents of the French Republic overall, but the post‑1945 sequence includes Vincent Auriol, René Coty, Charles de Gaulle, Georges Pompidou, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande, and Emmanuel Macron. Emmanuel Macron has been president since 14 May 2017 and is currently serving his second term.

The presidency became a powerful executive office under the Fifth Republic, established in 1958. Presidents are now directly elected, and since a 2000 referendum their term has been five years, renewable once. The longest‑serving president since 1945 is François Mitterrand, who held office for 14 years from 1981 to 1995. The youngest to take office was Emmanuel Macron at age 39.

What is the complete list of French presidents in order?

Current President: Emmanuel Macron (since 2017)

Total number of presidents (Fifth Republic): 8

Longest serving: François Mitterrand (14 years)

First president of France: Louis‑Napoléon Bonaparte (1848–1852)

The French presidency has been central to the Fifth Republic (1958–present), with 8 elected presidents.
Emmanuel Macron is the current president; his wife Brigitte Macron is well‑known; they have no children together but have a blended family.
Presidential terms were shortened from 7 to 5 years in 2000 via a referendum.
The list of presidents since 1945 includes leaders of both the Fourth and Fifth Republics.
The last 10 French presidents encompass both republics, starting with Vincent Auriol in 1947.

For a more detailed reference with additional data, see the comprehensive List of presidents of France on Wikipedia.

Name	Term Start	Term End	Key Detail
Vincent Auriol	1947	1954	President of the Fourth Republic
René Coty	1954	1959	President of the Fourth Republic
Charles de Gaulle	1959	1969	Founding president of the Fifth Republic
Georges Pompidou	1969	1974	First president to die in office (Fifth Republic)
Valéry Giscard d’Estaing	1974	1981	Youngest president at that time (48)
François Mitterrand	1981	1995	Longest‑serving (14 years)
Jacques Chirac	1995	2007	Opposed the Iraq War in 2003
Nicolas Sarkozy	2007	2012	President during the 2008 financial crisis
François Hollande	2012	2017	First president not to seek re‑election since 1958
Emmanuel Macron	2017	Incumbent	Youngest president (39) since Napoleon III

Who are the French presidents since 1945?

Presidents since 1970

From 1970 onward, France has been led by presidents of the Fifth Republic. The sequence includes Georges Pompidou (1969–1974), Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (1974–1981), François Mitterrand (1981–1995), Jacques Chirac (1995–2007), Nicolas Sarkozy (2007–2012), François Hollande (2012–2017), and Emmanuel Macron (2017–present). Mitterrand’s 14‑year tenure is the longest in this period.

Presidents since 2000

Since the year 2000, France has had four presidents: Jacques Chirac (re‑elected in 2002), Nicolas Sarkozy (elected 2007), François Hollande (2012), and Emmanuel Macron (2017, re‑elected 2022). The 2000 referendum shortened the term to five years, affecting all elections after 2002. According to a World Atlas overview of presidents since 1959, the Fifth Republic has maintained a stable executive structure.

The last 10 French presidents

The most commonly referenced “last 10” list begins in 1947 with Vincent Auriol and ends with the current president, Emmanuel Macron. This set includes two Fourth Republic presidents (Auriol, Coty) and eight Fifth Republic presidents.

Republic transition

The Fourth Republic ended in 1958 when Charles de Gaulle took office under the new Fifth Republic. The Élysée official list treats all presidents of the Republic in a single timeline, but the regimes are distinct.

What is the list of French presidents and prime ministers?

Prime ministers who later became presidents

Jacques Chirac served as prime minister under President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing from 1974 to 1976. Chirac is the most prominent example of a French prime minister who subsequently became president. Other presidents may have held prime ministerial roles, but the provided research does not confirm this for de Gaulle, Pompidou, or others.

Prime ministers during recent presidencies

The Élysée list does not enumerate the prime ministers who served under each president. For the current presidency of Emmanuel Macron, prime ministers have included Édouard Philippe (2017–2020), Jean Castex (2020–2022), and Élisabeth Borne (2022–2024). Official election procedures are detailed on the Constitutional Council’s presidential election page.

Missing combination

No single official source currently provides a side‑by‑side list of French presidents and their prime ministers for the entire post‑1945 period.

Who is the current French president’s wife and daughter?

Emmanuel Macron’s family

Emmanuel Macron married Brigitte Macron. According to biographical sources, the couple have no children together. Brigitte Macron has three children from a previous marriage, whom the president refers to as his step‑family. More about Brigitte Macron can be read on her Wikipedia page.

Spouses of recent presidents

Nicolas Sarkozy married Cécilia Ciganer in 1996; they had a son named Louis. He later married Carla Bruni in 2008. Jacques Chirac was married to Bernadette Chirac. For earlier presidents such as François Mitterrand, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, Georges Pompidou, and Charles de Gaulle, reliable spouse details are not provided in the available search results.

Presidential daughters

Emmanuel Macron does not have a biological daughter. François Mitterrand is known to have had a daughter, Mazarine, but the provided research lacks a detailed biographical snippet. For other presidents, information about daughters is not available in the cited sources.

Limited biographical data

For many French presidents, especially those from the Fourth Republic and early Fifth Republic, the publicly accessible biographical details about spouses and children are sparse in the sources used for this article.

How has the French presidency evolved since 1958?

1958–1969: Charles de Gaulle – Founding of the Fifth Republic.
1969–1974: Georges Pompidou – First president to die in office (Fifth Republic).
1974–1981: Valéry Giscard d’Estaing – Youngest president at that time (48).
1981–1995: François Mitterrand – Longest‑serving (14 years).
1995–2007: Jacques Chirac – Opposed Iraq War 2003.
2007–2012: Nicolas Sarkozy – Lisbon Treaty ratification.
2012–2017: François Hollande – Same‑sex marriage legalized.
2017–present: Emmanuel Macron – Youngest president (39).

A broader overview of the office and its history is available on the Wikipedia page for the President of France.

What are common clarifications about the list of French presidents?

Established information

The complete list of presidents since 1945 includes 10 individuals: Vincent Auriol through Emmanuel Macron.
Presidents of the Fifth Republic number eight, from Charles de Gaulle to the current office‑holder.
The term was reduced from 7 to 5 years after the 2000 referendum, effective from the 2002 election.
François Mitterrand served the longest post‑1945 term, 14 years.

Information that remains unclear

Acting presidents, such as Alain Poher who served as interim twice, are sometimes counted separately. This article treats them as interim, not full presidents.
The definition of “last 10 presidents” can vary: some sources start from 1947 (Fourth Republic), others from 1958 (Fifth Republic).
Family details for many presidents, especially spouses and children, are not comprehensively available in the cited sources. An IMDb biographical list provides some details for recent presidents.

What is the broader context of the French presidency?

The French presidency evolved from a largely ceremonial role under the Third and Fourth Republics to a powerful executive under the Fifth Republic, established in 1958. Presidents are now directly elected by the people. A 2000 referendum reduced the term from seven to five years, and presidents may serve no more than two consecutive terms.

The family of the president has often attracted media attention. Brigitte Macron, wife of the current president, is a prominent public figure. Other presidential spouses, such as Carla Bruni, have also been widely covered. The children of presidents, including those from previous marriages, occasionally appear in public discourse. An academic overview of the French presidency provides additional historical context.

What are the key sources for French presidential information?

Official list from the Élysée – Presidents of the Republic
Comprehensive Wikipedia list – List of presidents of France
Constitutional Council – Presidential election information
Biographical data from IMDb – French presidents list
Historical overview from World Atlas – Presidents of France since 1959
Academic page from the University of Liverpool – France: the presidency

What’s next for the French presidency?

The next presidential election in France is scheduled for April–May 2027. Emmanuel Macron is currently serving his second term, having been re‑elected in 2022. Under current term limits, he cannot run again. For a continuously updated official list, see the Presidents of the Republic page on the Élysée website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was the first French president?

Louis‑Napoléon Bonaparte (Napoleon III) was the first president, elected in 1848 under the Second Republic.

How many French presidents have there been since 1958?

There have been 8 presidents of the Fifth Republic (1958–present): De Gaulle, Pompidou, Giscard, Mitterrand, Chirac, Sarkozy, Hollande, Macron.

Who is the French president’s daughter?

Emmanuel Macron has no biological daughter; his wife Brigitte has three children from a previous marriage. François Mitterrand’s daughter Mazarine is known but not confirmed in the provided sources.

What is the term length for French presidents?

Since the 2000 referendum, the term is 5 years (previously 7 years), renewable once.

How many French presidents have there been since 1945?

Ten presidents have served since 1945, starting with Vincent Auriol (1947) and continuing to the current office‑holder, Emmanuel Macron.

Who is the longest‑serving French president?

François Mitterrand, who was president from 1981 to 1995, served 14 years, the longest term since 1945.

Who was the first president of the Fifth Republic?

Charles de Gaulle became the first president of the Fifth Republic in 1959 and served until 1969.