Being defeated in an election is a normal part of how democracy works in a country like France, and everyone with a political career experiences it. The speeches of defeated candidates on the evening of the second round of elections for the presidency of the Fifth Republic were used to explore the place and role of emotions in politics. The article combines a historical perspective with observation of the situations in which the speeches were made and with textual analysis to suggest three periods corresponding to separate ways of framing an electoral defeat. These changes are accompanied by transformations in emotional standards. An analysis of the words used by the losers provides information on the emotions that are expected during these forced speeches as well as the emotions that they inspire in different audiences.