Mitterrand, François

(1916-1996)

   statesman

   Born in Jarnac, François Mitterrand, after studying law, literature, and political science in Paris, served in the army in World War II. He was captured but escaped and, for a time, joined the vichy government (June 1942-January 1943), before becoming involved in the resistance (and founding the National union of Prisoners of War). He served in the postwar government as a socialist deputy for Niève (1946-58; 1962), as a senator (1959-62), and also was successively minister for war veterans (1947-48), secretary of state to the president of the Council (1948-49; 1953), and minister of overseas territories (1950-51). He left the government for a period, however, because of his disagreement over colonial policy, for which he held a more liberal view. Mitterrand then served as minister of the interior (cabinet of pierre mendès-france, 1954-55), then as minister of justice (cabinet of guy mollet, 1956-57) and, in June 1958, voted against the installation of General charles de gaulle and joined the opposition. Mitterrand then became one of the principal leaders of the socialist Left. in 1965, he ran unsuccessfully for the presidency of the republic against de Gaulle, meanwhile participating actively in the creation of the democratic and Socialist leftist coalition (FGDS, 1966). As secretary of the socialist party (1971), he supported a common program with the Communists and the radical Left, with the 1973 legislative election in mind. As a candidate again for the presidency in May 1974, Mitterrand obtained 49.19 percent of the vote, as opposed to 50.81 percent for valéry Giscard d'es-taing, but was elected May 10, 1988, with 54.01 percent. Mitterrand's two successive presidencies were notable in foreign policy for an increase in the goal toward European unity (European Act, 1986; Treaty of Maastricht, 1991), French participation in the Gulf War (1991), and, in domestic affairs, by the achievement of important reforms (abolition of the death penalty, decentralization of the administration, twice a cohabitation policy with the right, 1986-88; 1993-95, and a response to the acute economic crisis that produced rising unemployment). In May 1991, he appointed édith cresson, the first woman prime minister. At the end of his second term, Mitterrand retired from political life. His writing include Politique I (1977), Ici et Maintenant (1980), and Politique II (1982), among other works.