# PACS civil union created (1999)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1999-pacs-civil-union-created
Location: France

The civil solidarity pact provided legal recognition for unmarried couples, including same-sex couples. Within the broader Fifth Republic period, The 1958 Constitution created a stronger presidency and a durable Fifth Republic. Decolonization, European integration, social change, economic shocks and recurring debates over identity, secularism and the role of the state have shaped contemporary France. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Jacques Chirac (President of the French Republic). PACS civil union created mattered because it changed the legal or constitutional framework within which French institutions and citizens operated. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
PACS civil union created mattered because it changed the legal or constitutional framework within which French institutions and citizens operated.

Ruler at the time: [Jacques Chirac](https://history-france.com/rulers/jacques-chirac)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — PACS civil union created](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=PACS+civil+union+created&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — PACS civil union created](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=PACS+civil+union+created)
- [Élysée — Institutions of the Fifth Republic](https://www.elysee.fr/en/french-presidency/the-institutions)