French presidential election, 1958

The French presidential election in 1958 was the first of the Fifth Republic and was held on 21 December 1958. In contrast to the later elections, it was not a direct election by the people, but an election by an electoral college. Was chosen in the first of two possible ballots General Charles de Gaulle. As candidates stood by de Gaulle on the Communist Georges Marrano and the mathematician Albert Châtelet. This was nominated by an association called the Union of Democratic Forces led by François Mitterrand, whose members entered in opposition to the approval of the center-left parties ( SFIO, Parti radical ) for de Gaulle against the latter's return to the head of state and therefore an opposing candidate had nominated.

Basics

In accordance with Articles 6 and 7 of the new Constitution, the President of the Republic was elected for a term of 7 years by an electoral college ( Collège électoral ).

To carry out the brief provisions of the Constitution, the government had adopted under a special authorization in the transitional provisions of the Constitution on November 7, 1958 executive order with the force of law. This also determined the choice to be determined by the local electoral and voting. The vote took place at the main locations of the individual departments, respectively.

Candidates had to be proposed to the Constitutional Council and approve their candidacy at least 12 days before the first ballot of at least 50 electors.

To select the first ballot an absolute majority was required. If this achievement is not a candidate, would have been sufficient relative majority in a second ballot.

The choice of December 21, 1958 remained the only indirect presidential election of the Fifth Republic. On October 28, 1962, the French citizens voted in a referendum to change the constitution. By the assumed in this referendum law, the Constitution was amended that the President should be elected by popular vote to now.

The electoral college

The electoral college were in accordance with Article 6 of the Constitution to:

  • The deputies of the National Assembly, and (theoretically) the Senate, where the latter had not yet been chosen,
  • All members of the general councils of the departments and the representative body of the Overseas Territories,
  • The mayors of the municipalities,
  • A graded according to community size number of councilors and other representatives of the local councils of municipalities with over 1,000 inhabitants,
  • Representatives of the Member States of the French Community.

Electors who were as members of the general councils or representative body of local authorities and also members of the Parliament, had to appoint a replacement representative in the first-mentioned property, which was appointed by the Chairman of the General Council or other representative body for elector. Electors who would have been as Mayor, Councillor or council by law electors of the municipalities, but at the same time already belonged as a member of Parliament, a General Council or a representative body of a local authority the electoral college. These were replaced as community representatives by the next ranking member of the municipal council.

The College consisted of 81 764 electors, of which

  • 76 346 from the mother country,
  • 1,262 of the overseas departments of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Réunion,
  • 79 from Algeria,
  • 220 from the Sahara ( départements Oasis and Saoura )
  • 214 from the overseas territories Comoros, French Somaliland, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Saint- Pierre and Miquelon
  • And 3,643 from the Member States of the French Community, namely Dahomey, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Madagascar, Mauritania, Middle Congo, Niger, Upper Volta, Senegal, Sudan, Chad and Ubangi -Shari.

The electors of the overseas territories was granted the right place to cast their vote in the Seine in their own department. Of these, 13 did Algerian electoral use that were thus counted as electors of Seine in the determination of the results.

For the electors was elective. The unexcused non-participation in the election could be punished by a fine of up to 3,000 francs.

A total of 81 290 electors cast their vote, of which 79 470 votes were valid.

Official final result

The Provisional Constitutional Commission presented on 8 January 1959, the official result as follows:

Since hereafter Charles de Gaulle had received more than half of the valid votes, he was declared elected on the first ballot for President of the Republic and the community.

Swell

1958 • 1962 • 1967 • 1968 • 1973 • 1978 • 1981 • 1986 • 1988 • 1993 • 1997 • 2002 • 2007 • 2012

1959 • 1962 • 1965 • 1968 • 1971 • 1974 • 1977 • 1980 • 1983 • 1986 • 1989 • 1992 • 1995 • 1998 • 2001 • 2004 • 2008 • 2011

1958 | 1965 • 1969 • 1974 • 1981 • 1988 • 1995 • 2002 • 2007 • 2012

1979 • 1984 • 1989 • 1994 • 1999 • 2004 • 2009 • 2014

1958 • 1961 • April 1962 • October 1962 • 1969 • 1972 • 1988 • 1992 • 2000 • 2005

Constitution of the Fifth French Republic

  • French presidential election
  • Presidential Election 1958
Constitutional Council of France Benin Central African Republic Compulsory voting French legislative election, 1997 European Parliament election, 2014 (France)
348563
de