Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

French official and politician (1926-2020) · France · Politicians · Died at 94

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing is read about 2,333 times a day, in 104 languages.

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He held France's presidency through seven oil-shocked years that ended three decades of postwar boom, liberalized divorce and abortion while unemployment climbed, and lost re-election despite high approval because the economy had turned and both left and right wanted him gone.

Politicians Founder Founders Politics France Europe 20th Century

A life in dates

20267.9×100 years since their birth, on 2 February.2 February 2026What this moment rests on, 7.9 times the usual readers on 2 February 2026See the moment2020Died2 December 20202018“Undaunted, the Brussels establishment continued to pursue unification.”In their wordsSimon Jenkins, A Short History of Europe: From Pericles to Putin (2018)Read the whole statement

2014Ewald von Kleist PrizeAward2011Henry Malherbe PrizeAward2007“Did it have to come to this? The paradox is that when Europe was less united, it was in many ways more independent.”In their words20 September 2007London Review of Books, 20 September 2007Read the whole statement

“This text is, in fact, a rerun of a great part of the substance of the constitutional treaty.”In their words25 June 2007On the Lisbon Treaty, in his blog, 25 June 2007, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing: Conclusions du Conseil européen de Bruxelles, 21 et 22 juinRead the whole statement

“Public opinion will be led to adopt, without knowing it, the proposals we dare not present to them directly. (...) This approach of 'divide and ratify' is clearly unacceptable.”In their words15 June 2007On the Lisbon Treaty, Le Monde, 15 June 2007Read the whole statement

2005Order of Merit of Baden-WürttembergAward2003Named Member of the Académie françaiseOffice11 December 2003 to 2 December 2020Charlemagne PrizeAward1997Named Member of the French National AssemblyOffice2 April 1993 to 21 April 19971993Named Member of the French National AssemblyOffice2 April 1993 to 21 April 19971982Named Member of the general councilOffice1 January 1958 to 1 January 19741980Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of FinlandAward1979Nansen Refugee AwardAward1978Grand Collar of the Order of Prince HenryAwardKnight of the Order of the ElephantAward1976Collar of the Order of Isabella the CatholicAward1975Grand Collar of the Military Order of Saint James of the SwordAwardGrand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of GermanyAwardMore about this, 19751974Named President of the French RepublicOffice27 May 1974 to 21 May 19811973Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicAward1969Named Minister of the Economy, Finances and IndustryOffice23 June 1969 to 27 May 19741967Named Mayor of ChamalièresOffice15 September 1967 to 19 May 19741963Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the CatholicAward1962Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. OlavAward1958Named Member of the general councilOffice1 January 1958 to 1 January 19741926Born2 February 1926

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Photos 8

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1975)

24.9.74. Manif des ouvriers de la SNIAS (aérospatiale) (1974) - 53Fi5270

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41 rue de la Bienfaisance

8 juillet 2005 COLONNE DE LA VOIX VOLCADIVA

Caricature de Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

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In their own words 6

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

6 statements, newest first

Undaunted, the Brussels establishment continued to pursue unification.
2018, Simon Jenkins, A Short History of Europe: From Pericles to Putin (2018), Own words
Did it have to come to this? The paradox is that when Europe was less united, it was in many ways more independent.
Sep 20, 2007, London Review of Books, 20 September 2007, Own words
This text is, in fact, a rerun of a great part of the substance of the constitutional treaty.
Jun 25, 2007, On the Lisbon Treaty, in his blog, 25 June 2007, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing: Conclusions du Conseil européen de Bruxelles, 21 et 22 juin, Own words

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Awards

Ewald von Kleist Prize2014

Henry Malherbe Prize2011

Prix Trop Virilo2009

Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg2005

Charlemagne Prize2003

Robert Schuman Medal1993

Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland1980

Nansen Refugee Award1979

Honorary Member of the Athens Academy1979

Collar of the Order of Charles III1978

Knight of the Order of the Elephant1978

Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry1978

Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic1976

Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany1975

Grand Collar of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword1975

Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer1975

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic1973

Great Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany1965

Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic1963

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav1962

Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour

Croix de guerre 1939-1945

Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit

Grand Master of the Legion of Honour

Royal Order of the Seraphim

Order pro Merito Melitensi

Hessian Order of Merit

Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

Family

Parents

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

Partners

Spouse Anne-Aymone Giscard d'Estaing

Children

Brothers and sisters

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About this person

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing served as finance minister under two prime ministers before winning the presidency in 1974 with 50.8% against François Mitterrand. His tenure pushed social modernization - looser laws on divorce, contraception, abortion - and launched the TGV, the turn to nuclear energy, and cultural projects like the Musée d'Orsay and Grande Arche. The 1973 energy crisis ended the Trente Glorieuses, and he answered with austerity and rising joblessness to hold down deficits. Squeezed between a unified left under Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac's resurgent Gaullism on the right, he lost the 1981 runoff with 48.2%. He stayed active in European integration, chaired the convention that drafted the failed EU constitution, joined the Académie Française in 2003, and died in 2020 at 94 - the longest-lived French president.

Country

France

In common with Valéry

Alexis TsiprasBoth received Ewald von Kleist Prize

Jens StoltenbergBoth received Ewald von Kleist Prize

Henry KissingerBoth received Ewald von Kleist Prize

Helmut SchmidtBoth received Ewald von Kleist Prize

Joachim GauckBoth received Ewald von Kleist Prize

Politicians from France 1

Clémence Guetté76.3

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