On 30 June 1981, France formally abolished the death penalty with the passage of legislation enacted early in President François Mitterrand’s first term. The abolition ended an era in which capital punishment—largely by guillotine—had been part of the French penal landscape since the Revolution, though executions had become increasingly rare in the decades after World War II. Political context Mitterrand, elected in May 1981 as the country’s first Socialist president of the Fifth Republic, made abolition a campaign pledge. His government placed the measure at the center of early reforms. The bill was introduced by Justice Minister Robert Badinter, a longtime opponent of capital punishment who had argued for abolition in parliament and before the public. Badinter’s legal and moral case emphasized irreversibility, miscarriages of justice, and evolving standards of human dignity and international human-rights law. Parliamentary process and vote The legislation was debated in both houses of the French Parliament in June 1981. Supporters framed abolition as aligning France with modern democratic and human-rights norms, noting that many Western democracies had already ended the death penalty or imposed long de facto moratoria. Opponents—across parts of the political spectrum—expressed concerns about public safety, retribution, and whether abolition might be seen as soft on serious crime. Despite contested debates, the law passed, signaling a decisive legislative shift. Historical and legal significance Abolition in 1981 represented both a legal break and a symbolic milestone. France had executed its last criminal in 1977 (Hamida Djandoubi), and the frequency of executions had sharply declined since the mid-20th century. The new law formally removed capital punishment from the penal code and reflected broader trends in Europe and many international bodies toward abolition as a human-rights standard. France later reinforced this stance by supporting international instruments and European norms that discourage or prohibit executions. Public reaction and aftermath Public opinion at the time was mixed. Polls in various periods before and after 1981 showed significant segments of the population retained support for capital punishment, especially following high-profile violent crimes. Advocates for abolition, legal scholars, and human-rights organizations hailed the legislative change as a moral advance and an improvement to the legal system’s safeguards. Opponents continued to raise the issue occasionally in political debates, particularly in relation to crime policy. Legacy and contemporary relevance The abolition reshaped France’s criminal-justice ethos and influenced policy discussions in subsequent decades. It remains an important reference point in debates about human rights, penal reform, and the balance between punishment and rehabilitation. While the immediate legislative action took place in June 1981, discussions about capital punishment’s morality, effectiveness as a deterrent, and political salience have persisted in French public life and across international forums. Notes on sources and accuracy This summary reflects well-documented historical events: the 1981 abolition led by Justice Minister Robert Badinter during François Mitterrand’s presidency, and the last execution in 1977. Where opinions and poll numbers are referenced, they are described generally to avoid asserting fluctuating statistics without specific citation.