Giscard’s future uncertain

Press, 15 May 1981, Page 8

Giscard’s future uncertain

NZPA-Reuter Paris The political future of the outgoing President Valery Giscard d'Estaing of France looked uncertain yesterday as he faced the possibility of being abandoned by many of his parliamentary supporters.

Shortly after the socialist Francois Mitterrand won Sunday's presidential election. the Gaullist leader, Jacques Chirac, called for unity between Mr Giscard’s supporters and the R.P.R. Gaullist movement.

Mr Giscard rapidly rejected the offer in a message which made it clear he hoped to continue to play an important role in French politics. Although the message did not mention Mr Chirac by name, it spoke of the Gaullist leader's “treason” and suggested he was to blame for the defeat of the CentreRight coalition which has ruled France since 1958.

But parliamentarians of the Union for French Democracy, a gathering of CentreRight groups supporting Mr Giscard, quickly made it clear that they disagreed with their erstwhile leader. Many U.D.F. parliamentarians said openly that it would be political suicide for the Right to enter the campaign for General Elections, which Mr Mitterrand is expected to call for next month, in disarray. Faced with a clear loss of favour among the men who supported him until only last week. Mr Giscard will probably not even seek election to the new National Assembly, according to one of his close political allies. Earlier. yesterday, the Prime Minister (Mr Raymond Barre) submitted his Government’s resignation in the wake of Mr Mitterrand's victory.