1965, first campaign for the Elysee

The first presidential election by direct universal suffrage of the Fifth Republic took place in December 1965. The competition for the Elysée Palace was full of surprises and suspense. The French people were passionate about this election, in which more than 84% of them participated. As for the candidates, the outgoing President and instigator of this reform, General de Gaulle, was to suffer a setback, although he saw himself elected in the first round. He qualified for the second round with François Mitterrand, pushing aside the Christian Democrat Jean Lecanuet in particular. During the campaign, for the first time, all candidates were given equal space in the media.