It had been widely expected that incumbent president Charles de Gaulle would be re-elected, but the election was notable for the unexpectedly strong performance of his left-wing challenger François Mitterrand.

Under the first draft of the 1958 constitution, the president was to be elected by an electoral college, in order to appease concerns about de Gaulle's allegedly authoritarian or Bonapartist tendencies.

When the electoral campaign started, the majority of political commentators believed that de Gaulle would succeed in winning re-election in a single round.

Furthermore, some potential candidates such as former Prime Minister Pierre Mendès-France declined to run, due to their opposition to direct presidential elections.

De Gaulle did not expect a significant challenger, announced his candidacy only one month before the first round of voting, and did not lead a very active campaign.

He ran a liberal and pro-European campaign, influenced by John F. Kennedy, and criticizing the "archaism" and the "nationalism" of de Gaulle in a bid to rally younger and more moderate conservatives.