Valery Giscard d'Estaing (may 27, 1974 – may 21, 1981)
Description:
Founder of the FNRI and later the UDF in his efforts to unify the centre-right, he served in several Gaullist governments. Narrowly elected in the 1974 election, he instigated numerous reforms, including the lowering of the age of civil majority from 21 to 18, and the legalisation of abortion. He soon faced a global economic crisis and rising unemployment. Although the polls initially gave him a lead, he was defeated in the 1981 election by François Mitterrand, partly due to the disunion within the right wing.Added to timeline:
Date:
may 27, 1974
may 21, 1981
~ 6 years and 11 months