Known mostly for his longevity and as the “Grand Old Man” of French politics, and less for him being the fifth youngest French president, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing recently died at the age of 94.
The young Valéry was an elite with a high-flying career mapped out from the cradle. Born in French-occupied Germany after the First World War, VGE – as he was known – chose to support the French government-in-exile instead of associating himself with the Nazi during the Second World War. After moving to France, VGE served two presidents as a minister of finance and won the presidency at the age 48 after boosting his campaign on television.
While many modernisation reforms were carried out during his two terms, his political career was most remembered for the “diamond affairs”, in which VGE received gems from an African dictator that cost him the Élysée.
Nicknamed Valéry Folamour, or “Crazy Lover” in English, VGE not only cheated on his wife but wrote a novel that many considered to be him fantasizing about having an affair with Princess Diana.
Image: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/12/2/22149190/ex-french-leader-valery-giscard-destaing-dies-at-age-94