French presidential election of 1965

The French presidential election of 1965 was the second presidential election which was held at the time of the Fifth French Republic. It is the first to be held with the Vote for all direct. Charles de Gaulle was re-elected for seven New Year's Days at the station of President of the French Republic.

The first turn proceeded the December 5th 1965 and the second the December 19th.

The electoral campaign

The Way of voting having been modified in 1962, Charles de Gaulle was likely thus less to be elected as of the first turn. Indeed, he was elected “only” with the second turn.

De Gaulle announced her Candidature only tardily, the November 4th by an intervention televised at 8 p.m.: “That the frank and massive adhesion of the citizens commits me to remain in functions, the future of the new Republic will be definitely assured. If not, nobody can doubt that it will collapse at once. ” Sure of him, it initially gives up on television using its speaking time of countryside, before resorting on November 30th and on December 3rd to it, vis-a-vis its fall of popularity in the surveys. Indeed, the presidential election cannot be summarized as he initially hoped for it with a Plébiscite.

Vis-a-vis him, François Mitterrand had the support of the Socialiste S, while at the same time he was not member of SFIO, and the French Communist party, whereas this last party feared a too weak score for one of its own candidates and that Mitterrand was one of the rare men of the left to promote an alliance with this organization. The deputy of the Nievre, former minister for the Fourth Republic, directed only his modest organization, the Convention of the republican institutions. This “weakness” made its force, since Socialists and Communists saw in him a presentable candidate, but without much scale. The prestige which was it his to have put the General in ballot, enabled him to sit its stature, and more still after the absence of the left to the second tower of presidential of 1969.

Third great figure of the countryside, the president of the MRP and senator de Seine-Maritime Jean Lecanuet exploited his youth and its image of revival on the right, vis-a-vis a De Gaulle growing old. In spite of the use of modern methods (surveys, use of companies of councils in communication, etc), Lecanuet will obtain a score of hardly more than 15%, in-on this side its objective and very far from Mitterrand.

Other personalities had been had a presentiment of with the candidature, but are not presented:

Antoine Pinay, President of the council for nine months in 1952, reproached to the general his anti-Americanism and its Politique of the chair empties with the european partners.
Gaston Defferre was presented like Mr X by the weekly magazine the Express train directed by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber in September 1963. The socialist mayor of Marseilles wanted to conduct a center campaign. He is invested by the Socialist party in May 1965 to form a " democratic federation socialiste" energy of the Socialists to the Christian-Democrats, but neither MRP nor Guy Mollet have there interest and the project fails at the end of June.

The other candidatures had a more anecdotic impact:

In spite of a round of the beaches very mediatized, the countryside of Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour directed by Jean-Marie Le Pen does not take off and it hardly federates beyond the traditional electorate of the Extreme-right-hand side and in particular of the repatriates of North Africa.
Candidate of the European Liberal party, the senator of Charente Pierre Marcilhacy does not have a popularity exceeding its area.
Bearded Marcel, candidate of inspiration Self-management naire, is the candidate surprised of 1965.

The countryside showed in addition the importance of television (France then cash 6 385 000 receivers), each candidate having then the same speaking time at the time of the official countryside.

Results

External bonds

the French presidential election of 1965 (files of the INA).

Sources

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