French Presidents: 8 Leaders, Term Limits, and Surprising Facts
The French presidency has seen only eight men in 65 years, yet the questions people type into search engines are often stranger than the institution itself. Here’s what the official record — from the Élysée’s own pages to French government archives — actually confirms.
Presidents since 1958: 8 |
Current president: Emmanuel Macron, since 2017 |
Presidential term: 5 years, renewable once |
Term before 2002: 7 years |
Presidents assassinated in office: 2
France’s presidents at a glance
The Élysée’s official list of presidents and the Fifth Republic’s own institution pages give this basic framework. Before any of the human stories, this is the constitutional table:
| Fifth Republic founded | 1958 |
|---|---|
| First president (Fifth Republic) | Charles de Gaulle, 1959–1969 |
| Current president | Emmanuel Macron, since 2017 |
| Total presidents since 1958 | 8 |
| Term length before 2002 | 7 years |
| Term length now | 5 years, renewable once |
| Referendum that changed the term | 2000 |
| Presidents assassinated in office | 2 |
The pattern is clear: the Fifth Republic has maintained remarkable stability in leadership despite term changes and assassination attempts.
The presidency in four snapshots
The big picture
- Eight presidents have led the Fifth Republic since 1958. Source: Britannica encyclopedia.
The human story
- Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron have no children together; the president has no biological children. Source: Anadolu Agency news.
The historical twist
- The seven-year term was born in 1873 under Marshal MacMahon and lasted until 2002. Source: Élysée official website.
The enduring question
- People still search “de Gaulle down syndrome” and “was de Gaulle sentenced to death” — both get clear, documented answers. Source: Élysée official website.
Why was Charles de Gaulle sentenced to death?
The short answer is: he was.
After his rallying call from London on 18 June 1940, the collaborationist Vichy regime condemned General de Gaulle to death in absentia. He was tried by a military tribunal on charges of desertion and treason — a conviction that simply reinforced his position as the free France’s leader. After the Liberation, the sentence was annulled. The Élysée’s official record presents de Gaulle’s role in these terms: he refused the armistice and continued the fight. He would later become the first president of the Fifth Republic in 1959.
Source: Élysée official website — Les présidents de la République.
The implication: a death sentence intended to silence de Gaulle instead cemented his standing as the legitimate voice of Free France.
How long is the French presidential term today?
Since a 2000 referendum, the French president serves five years, renewable once. That means a president can hold office for a maximum of two consecutive terms — ten years in total. Emmanuel Macron, elected in 2017 and again in 2022, is the first president since the reform to be term-limited: he cannot stand for re-election in 2027.
Source: Élysée official website — Election of the President.
The catch: this two-term limit, introduced by a 2008 constitutional reform, now directly bars Macron from a third consecutive run.
How Long Can Macron Remain President?
French presidents serve five-year terms (the quinquennium) and can be re-elected once. Macron’s second term ends in 2027, and he cannot run again. This limit was introduced by a constitutional reform in 2008. Source: Anadolu Agency.
Why did the seven-year term disappear?
The seven-year term was a legacy of the 19th century. In 1873, the conservative president Marshal Patrice de MacMahon — who wanted a stable, monarchist-friendly republic — established the septennat. The first to serve it was Jules Grévy, president from 1879 to 1887.
For more than a century, French presidents sat for seven years. But in 2000, voters approved a constitutional change shortening the term to five years — aligning the presidency with the parliamentary cycle and reducing the chance of conservative-socialist cohabitation. The referendum passed with a large majority, and the first full term under the new five-year rule began with President Jacques Chirac’s re-election in 2002.
Source: Élysée official website — History of the presidential election.
What this means: the septonnat was an 19th-century compromise; the shift to five years ended a century-old tradition and changed the rhythm of French politics.
Who Is the Greatest French President?
This is subjective. Common names from historian polls and public opinion include Charles de Gaulle (founder of the Fifth Republic), François Mitterrand (longest-serving, 14 years), and Emmanuel Macron (youngest, modern reforms). Criteria vary — economic growth, international influence, or domestic reforms. No single answer is universally accepted. Source: Élysée official website.
Which French presidents were assassinated in office?
Two French presidents were assassinated — both under the Third Republic, and neither in the Fifth:
- Marie François Sadi Carnot (president 1887–1894) — stabbed by an Italian anarchist in Lyon on 24 June 1894.
- Paul Doumer (president 1931–1932) — shot by a Russian fascist in Paris on 6 May 1932.
No Fifth Republic president has been assassinated, although Charles de Gaulle came close on 22 August 1962, when a group of the OAS military faction ambushed his car at Petit-Clamart. A fact the 1962 presidential referendum on direct election often brings back into the timeline.
Source: Élysée official website — The presidents of France.
The pattern: assassination has struck only in earlier republics; the Fifth Republic’s security apparatus prevented a third incident.
Does Emmanuel Macron have children?
The official record is clear: Emmanuel Macron has no biological children. He and his wife Brigitte, his former drama teacher, have been married since 2007. Brigitte brought three children into the marriage — from her first marriage — and the president is their stepfather and a step-grandfather.
The question inevitably surfaced when the couple’s private life became tabloid fodder during his 2017 campaign. The French press largely respects the family’s privacy, and the Élysée has never confirmed a pregnancy or a child. Macron has occasionally addressed the subject, telling journalists he has “no children” and redirecting attention to his stepchildren.
Source: Anadolu Agency news — Macron’s comments on his political future.
The implication: despite persistent rumors, the official record and Macron’s own statements confirm he has no biological children.
How Much Older Is Macron’s Wife Than Him?
Brigitte Macron is 24 years older than Emmanuel Macron. She was his drama teacher at a secondary school in Amiens. The age gap has been a subject of frequent public scrutiny. Source: Anadolu Agency news.
Who has served as president of the Fifth Republic?
Since the founding of the Fifth Republic, eight men have held the presidency:
- Charles de Gaulle (1959–1969)
- 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)
- Emmanuel Macron (2017–present)
Source: Britannica encyclopedia — List of presidents of France.
Key dates in the modern presidency
- 1959 — Charles de Gaulle inaugurated as the first president of the Fifth Republic.
Source: Élysée official website - 1962 — Assassination attempt at Petit-Clamart; de Gaulle survives.
Source: Élysée official website - 1965 — First presidential election by direct universal suffrage; de Gaulle re-elected.
Source: Élysée official website - 1969 — De Gaulle resigns; Georges Pompidou succeeds him.
Source: Élysée official website - 1974 — Pompidou dies in office; Valéry Giscard d’Estaing wins the snap election.
Source: Élysée official website - 2000 — French voters approve the referendum shortening the term to five years.
Source: Élysée official website - 2017 — Emmanuel Macron elected — the youngest president in the Republic’s history.
Source: Élysée official website
The timeline shows a steady evolution from de Gaulle’s founding to Macron’s modern, term-limited presidency.
Rumor vs. reality: what the record confirms
Confirmed
- De Gaulle was sentenced to death in absentia in 1940 by Vichy France. The sentence was annulled after the Liberation.
Source: Élysée official website - Macron has no biological children.
Source: Anadolu Agency news - MacMahon set the seven-year term in 1873.
Source: Élysée official website - Two presidents were assassinated in office (Carnot, 1894; Doumer, 1932).
Source: Élysée official website
Rumor / misleading search
- “Charles de Gaulle had Down syndrome.” False. The query almost certainly comes from a family story: the general’s youngest daughter, Anne, was born in 1928 with a severe disability and died in 1948. De Gaulle’s official biography records that the family founded a charitable foundation for children with disabilities in Anne’s honour; the general himself did not have the condition.
Source: Élysée official website - “Macron has a hidden child.” No official documentation or reliable press reports support this. The Élysée has consistently declined to comment, but the record shows no children.
Source: Anadolu Agency news - “The French president can serve unlimited terms.” False. Since the 2008 constitutional reform, a president can serve a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms.
Source: Le Club des Juristes legal analysis - “Which French president is the greatest?” This is subjective and not a factual claim. Common names in polls include de Gaulle, Mitterrand, and Macron, but no objective answer exists.
The words that mattered
“The President of the Republic is elected for five years.”
— Élysée official website, The election of the President
“I don’t exclude anything.”
— Emmanuel Macron, quoted by Anadolu Agency news, on his constitutional options
presidence.assemblee-nationale.fr, en.wikipedia.org, fr.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, fr.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, elysee.fr
Frequently asked questions
Does Emmanuel Macron have children?
No. The president has no biological children. He is stepfather to Brigitte Macron’s three children from her first marriage.
Was Charles de Gaulle sentenced to death?
Yes — in absentia by the Vichy regime in 1940. The sentence was annulled after the Liberation.
Which French presidents were assassinated?
Sadi Carnot in 1894 and Paul Doumer in 1932. No Fifth Republic president has been assassinated.
When did the presidential term become five years?
In 2000, French voters approved a referendum shortening the term from seven to five years, starting with the 2002 presidential election.
How much older is Brigitte Macron than Emmanuel Macron?
Brigitte Macron is 24 years older than her husband, Emmanuel. She was his drama teacher before they married.
Who is considered the greatest French president?
This is subjective. Public opinion and historians often name Charles de Gaulle, François Mitterrand, and Emmanuel Macron as top candidates, but there is no definitive answer.
Related reading
- Élysée official website — The presidents of the Republic
- Élysée official website — The election of the President
- Britannica encyclopedia — List of presidents of France
- Anadolu Agency news — Macron’s comments on his political future
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