Giscard d'Estaing centrist-liberal presidency (France)

Doctrine — stated goals and content

Centrist-liberal "société libérale avancée" programme blending Giscardian social-liberal reform with Barre-era monetarist stabilisation. Economic school: French liberal-centrist (Barre as Sciences Po monetary economist trained on IMF/OECD norms) — ordoliberal-adjacent but embedded in dirigiste Treasury culture; this movement is the closest pre-1983 approach to European mainstream monetarist discipline France produced. Left-right axis: centre-right on economics, liberal-centrist on social policy — clearly to the right of Mitterrand's 1981 Common Programme but well to the left of Thatcher. Key content: (i) first oil-shock response: 1974 VAT hike and credit restrictions; (ii) Chirac government expansionary pivot 1975 (Plan Fourcade) creating Chirac-Giscard rift leading to Chirac resignation August 1976; (iii) Plan Barre September 1976 — price and wage freezes, VAT and corporate-surcharge tax rises, strong franc policy; (iv) voluntary abolition of price controls on industrial products 1978-1980; (v) founding of the European Monetary System (EMS), operational 13 March 1979 — Giscard-Schmidt joint project; (vi) 5th Plan modernisation continued but with reduced dirigiste ambition; (vii) Nora-Minc Report 1978 on informatisation; (viii) industrial policy shifts toward plan calcul and nuclear programme (Messmer Plan continued 1974+ generating 58 reactors ordered 1974-1991); (ix) social reforms: age of majority 21→18 (1974), contraception reimbursement, abortion (Loi Veil 1975), divorce by mutual consent (1975). Popularity: 1974 presidential runoff 50.8% vs Mitterrand 49.2%; Barre premiership extremely unpopular in polling (lowest PM rating of Fifth Republic to that point); 1978 legislative elections narrowly retained majority against left; 1981 presidential runoff Giscard 48.2% lost to Mitterrand 51.8% — the Barre-era stabilisation cost the incumbency. Coherence: movement fused social-liberal reforms that Giscard owned with Barre's macro-stabilisation that Giscard underwrote politically; Chirac-Gaullist partners defected in 1976, narrowing coalition and ultimately costing re-election.