Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (born February 2, 1926 in Koblenz, Germany) is a French politician who was President of the Republic from 1974 until 1981.

He is a son of Edmond Giscard d'Estaing (1892-1982), a French civil servant, and his wife, May Bardoux, who was a daughter of French senator and academicien Jacques Bardoux and a great-granddaughter of French minister of state education Agénor Bardoux .

He was educated at the École Polytechnique and the École nationale d'administration.

He is one of the fiercest proponents of the United States of Europe.

He is currently serving as:

• President of the Convention on the Future of Europe
• President of the CEMR (Council of European Municipalities and Regions)
• A member of the Académie française

His name is often shortened to "Giscard" or even "VGE" by the French media. A less flattering nickname is l'Ex (the Ex), as he is, as of 2004, the only surviving former president of France and is still in politics.

In 1952, Giscard married Anne-Aymone Sauvage de Brantes, a daughter of the Marquis de Brantes and his wife, Princess Aymone de Faucigny-Lucinge. They have four children: Valerie-Anne, Henri, Louis and Jacinte.

He is an uncle of French artist Aurore Giscard d'Estaing, who is married to the American actor Timothy Hutton.

Preceded by: Georges Pompidou

President of France

Succeeded by: François Mitterrand

External links

• Curriculum Vitae (CEMR website)
• Bio on the French National Assembly website (in French)
• http://www.giscarddestaing.com/ Personal website (in French)