FRENCH PRESIDENTS

With a 7-year mandate (recently reduced to 5 years), the French have not had that many presidents since WWII.

Beside the almost 14 years stint (1981-1995) of Francois Mitterand as the first socialist president of the Fifth Republic (yes, the French have had 5 constitutions since 1792) , most presidents have followed the footsteps of Charles De Gaulle. They all more less implemented the same 'certaine idee de la France' laid by the General, primarily flavors of Social Republicanism.

Nicolas Sarkozy, elected in 2007, is the most "liberal" of all French president (using the French meaning of the term). His love for strong government interventionism keeps him far away from his US counterparts.