"Giscard at the Helm": How a New Campaign Style Emerged in 1974

Paris - 06.08.2026: A Franceinfo program revisits Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's 1974 presidential campaign. Its slogan, "Giscard at the Helm," represented a style of campaigning that connected personality, youthfulness and media recognizability more closely than the statesmanlike language of the Gaullist era.The campaign emerged under exceptional time pressure. Following the death of President Georges Pompidou on 2 April 1974, the new election was scheduled for 5 and 19 May. Giscard d'Estaing, then 48 years old and previously finance minister, ran for the Independent Republicans. His main competitors were the Gaullist Jacques ...