 In the year 2000, Jacques Chirac led a referendum reducing the president's term from seven to five years.Thus, when he was elected in 2002, he was the first president to serve a five-year term.The aim of the "quinquennat" (five-year term) was to have the legislative election immediately succeed the presidential election (as in 2007, the presidential election took place in April–May 2007, while the legislative election took place in June), thus providing similar electoral results and reducing the risk of a cohabitation.