Giscard D’Estaing was head of state from 1974 to 1981. Elected President at the age of 48, Giscard d’Estaing succeeded De Gaulle’s years of power and sought to liberalize both the economy and social attitudes.
Under his mandate, abortion was legalized and divorce enshrined by mutual consent, both considered two major social advances at the time. He also advanced the voting age to 18 years.
The President was also known as one of the architects of the European integration project. He was very close to German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, with whom he laid the foundations of the European currency in what would become the European Monetary System.
Giscard d’Estaing lost his re-election in 1981 to the socialist François Mitterrand.
