French presidential election, 1988
In the French presidential election in 1988 on 24 April and 8 May 1988, the 1981 elected French President François Mitterrand run for re- election. In the second round he was able to prevail against Jacques Chirac.
First ballot
Nine candidates were able to fulfill the formal conditions for participation in the first round of voting on April 24. If in that no candidate obtain an absolute majority of votes, the two candidates with the most votes ( ballot ) were qualified for the second round.
The candidates ( in alphabetical order):
- Raymond Barre ( Union pour la démocratie française, centrist ), Prime Minister from 1976 to 1981 under Valéry Giscard d' Estaing
- Pierre Boussel ( Mouvement pour un parti des travailleurs, radical left )
- Jacques Chirac ( Rassemblement pour la République, center-right ), President- Prime Minister
- Pierre Juquin excluded from the PCF, supported by some reform- communist groupings
- Arlette Laguiller, spokeswoman for the Trotskyist party Workers Struggle
- André Lajoinie, ( Parti Communiste Français, left)
- Jean -Marie Le Pen, the extreme right, chairman of the National Front
- Incumbent François Mitterrand ( Socialist Party, the center- left), since 1981 in office.
- Antoine Waechter, (Les Verts, green)
The most important question in the first ballot was, which would move the candidate for the mayor spectrum Barre or Chirac in the second round. The catchment Mitterrand, who had overcome a popularity deep in the middle of his first term, in the second round of voting was considered safe. All other candidates are no realistic prospects were granted.
Election result:
So Chirac was able to prevail against Barre and two weeks later compete against Mitterrand. Surprisingly strong cut off Le Pen, who now reached 14.38 % after 0.75 % in his first candidacy in 1974. Thus, the success of the Front National from Europe, parliamentary and local elections continued.
Second round
Election result:
Mitterrand was thus elected for a second seven-year term.