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Under which president was the death penalty abolished in France?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: François Mitterrand. The death penalty was abolished in 1981, under President François Mitterrand. Robert Badinter, the Minister of Justice, supported this full abolition. Since 2007, the Constitution says that no one can be sentenced to death. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “Focus sur la Vème République : l'abolition de la peine de mort” (in French).
Sources: Sheet “Focus sur la Vème République : l'abolition de la peine de mort” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ General Charles de GaulleLe général Charles de GaulleHe founded the Fifth Republic and ended the Algerian war.
- ✗ Georges PompidouGeorges PompidouHe strengthened European integration.
- ✓ François MitterrandFrançois MitterrandCorrect answer. The death penalty was abolished in 1981, under President François Mitterrand. Robert Badinter, the Minister of Justice, supported this full abolition. Since 2007, the Constitution says that no one can be sentenced to death.
- ✗ Nicolas SarkozyNicolas SarkozyHe reformed pensions and handled the 2008 financial crisis.
What the source says
« ministre de la Justice de François Mitterrand, le président de la République à ce moment-là »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Sous quel président la peine de mort est-elle abolie en France ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question comes from the list of the naturalisation version of the exam (PDF relayed by Le Français des affaires, read on 14 October 2026; the Ministry's own page for this list did not answer). The list's wording: “Sous quel président a été abolie la peine de mort en France ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Focus sur la Vème République : l'abolition de la peine de mort” (French).
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