when the president’s wishes have a foretaste of the campaign

In 1980, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing was rather in good shape in the polls, which gave him ahead of François Mitterrand. On December 31, he made no allusion to the presidential election, and contented himself with advancing his ambitions for the country. Between the lines, he is already seeking to warn the French of the risk incurred in the event of a victory for the left. “It takes little to destroy the image of a nation”, he then declares. Nicolas Sarkozy, for his end of term wishes, had played the dramatization. “2012 will be the year of all risks, but also of all possibilities”, he assured. A few months later, he was beaten by François Hollande.

In 1987, François Mitterrand, president, had to deal with a right-wing Prime Minister, Jacques Chirac. Their relationship is then strained, neither one nor the other has officially declared his candidacy for the presidential elections of 1988. François Mitterrand makes a wish, on December 31: “that the French express themselves clearly on a few essential choices and that they do so, if possible, in a spirit of tolerance”. 14 years later, it is the turn of Jacques Chirac, who has become president, to cohabit with a left-wing Prime Minister. He will give during his vows the axes of his future electoral campaign.