List of Presidents of France: Past and Present

Last updated November 2026

This page lists the presidents and heads of state of France from 1947 to the present, with the years each leader was in office and a short summary of their time in power. Use it to find the current president of France, former leaders, and key dates in the country's political history.

Current president of France: Emmanuel Macron (in office since 2017).

Presidents of France in order, with years in office

Vincent Auriol

Served: 1947–1954

First president of the Fourth Republic; served a full seven-year term.

René Coty

Served: 1954–1959

Last president of the Fourth Republic; resigned on 8 January 1959 when de Gaulle took office.

Charles de Gaulle

Served: 1959–1969

Founder of the Fifth Republic and its first president; resigned on 28 April 1969.

Alain Poher

Served: 1969, 1974 (interim)

President of the Senate who served as interim president after de Gaulle's resignation in 1969 and after Pompidou's death in 1974.

Georges Pompidou

Served: 1969–1974

Died in office on 2 April 1974.

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

Served: 1974–1981

Served one seven-year term, from 27 May 1974 to 21 May 1981.

François Mitterrand

Served: 1981–1995

First Socialist president of the Fifth Republic; re-elected in 1988 and served 14 years.

Jacques Chirac

Served: 1995–2007

Served two terms, a total of 12 years.

Nicolas Sarkozy

Served: 2007–2012

Served one five-year term.

François Hollande

Served: 2012–2017

Served one five-year term.

Emmanuel Macron

Served: 2017–present

Took office on 14 May 2017 and was re-elected in 2022.

Frequently asked questions about the presidents of France

Who is the current president of France?

The current president of France is Emmanuel Macron, in office since 2017.

Who were the previous presidents of France?

The presidents and heads of state of France listed on this page, in order, are: Vincent Auriol, René Coty, Charles de Gaulle, Alain Poher, Georges Pompidou, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande, Emmanuel Macron.

Sources: Wikipedia, List of presidents of France (and by tenure); Presidency archives; French government and school-archive lists (checked Nov 2026). Covers the Fourth and Fifth Republics since 1947; earlier presidents come in a later update.. Last reviewed November 2026.

Presidents of other Europe countries