Title: Capital punishment in France
Content: longtime opponent of capital punishment and the defending lawyer of some of the last men to be executed, became minister of justice and proposed the final abolition of the death penalty in 1981, which was pushed through the National Assembly with the backing of newly elected president François Mitterrand. Today, although a few French politicians (notably the far-right Front national former leader Jean-Marie Le Pen) declare themselves to be in favour of the death penalty, its re-establishment would not be possible without the unilateral French rejection of several international treaties. Repudiation of international treaties is not unknown to the French

Title: Capital punishment in France
Content: member, Lt. Colonel Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry, who was an organizer of the famous assassination attempt on de Gaulle in 1962). There were no executions during two-term Interim President Alain Poher, in 1969 and 1974. President Georges Pompidou, who was personally a death penalty opponent, commuted all but three death sentences imposed during his term. President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, who, according to his own words, "felt a deep aversion to the death penalty," also commuted all but three death sentences. He was President at the time of the last execution in France. One of the examples of general amnesty for all people

Title: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Content: in France and, had executions not resumed in the United States, the last in the Western world, as was the case until 1979 when John Spenkelink was executed by Florida. Death sentences were continually handed out in France for the remaining four years of Giscard's term but were all commuted in 1981, when capital punishment was abolished. A rivalry arose with his Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, who resigned in 1976. Raymond Barre, called the "best economist in France" at the time, succeeded him. He led a policy of strictness in a context of economic crisis ("Plan Barre"). Unexpectedly, the right-wing

Title: Capital punishment in France
Content: sentenced to death and awaiting execution took place in 1959 when, after De Gaulle's inauguration, all sentences were commuted (amnesty is not an executive clemency, rather it is an Act of Parliament). The first official debate on the death penalty in France took place on 30 May 1791, with the presentation of a bill aimed at abolishing it. The advocate was Louis-Michel Lepeletier of Saint-Fargeau and the bill was supported by Maximilien de Robespierre. However, the National Constituent Assembly, on 6 October 1791, refused to abolish the death penalty. On 26 October 1795, the National Convention abolished capital punishment, but

Title: François Mitterrand
Content: Justice Minister (1956–1957), Mitterrand allowed the expansion of martial law in the Algerian conflict. Unlike other ministers (including Mendès-France), who criticised the repressive policy in Algeria, he remained in Guy Mollet's cabinet until its end. As Minister of Justice, he had a role in 45 executions of the Algerian natives, recommending President Rene Coty to reject clemency in 80% of the cases, an action he later came to regret. Mitterrand's role in confirming the death sentences of FLN rebels convicted by French courts of terrorism and later in abolishing the death penalty in 1981 led the British writer Anthony Daniels

Question: Which form of death penalty was abolished by Francois Mitterrand?
Answer: Guillotine