François Mitterrand

François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (October 26, 1916 – January 8, 1996; {{audio|Fr-François_Mitterrand.ogg|pronunciation}}) was a French politician. He was elected President of France in May 1981, re-elected in 1988 and held office until 1995.

Presidency

In the French Presidential Election of 1981 he became the first socialist President of the Fifth Republic, and his government the first left-wing government in 23 years. One of his first decisions was to ask Parliament to abolish the death penalty; Parliament also voted in a wealth tax in the first year of his first term as President.

Related Topics:
French Presidential Election of 1981 - Death penalty - Wealth tax

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Domestically, his aims were blunted first by a series of financial crises, and then by a conservative parliament (from 1986 to 1988, and 1993 to 1995). Various "great projects" were completed during his Presidency, including the Channel Tunnel, the pyramid at the Louvre (1988), the Grande Arche at La Défense (1989), and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (1995). Mitterrand also presided over the celebrations of the bicentenary of the French Revolution in 1989.

Related Topics:
Conservative - 1986 - 1988 - 1993 - 1995 - Channel Tunnel - Pyramid - Louvre - Grande Arche - La Défense - Bibliothèque Nationale de France - French Revolution

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His major achievements came internationally, especially in the European Economic Community. He supported the extension of the Community to Spain and Portugal (who both joined in January 1986) and in February 1986 he helped the Single European Act come into effect. He worked well with Helmut Kohl and improved Franco-German relations measurably. Together they fathered the Maastricht Treaty, which was signed on February 7, 1992.

Related Topics:
European Economic Community - Spain - Portugal - 1986 - Single European Act - Helmut Kohl - Maastricht Treaty - February 7 - 1992

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On 2 February 1993, in his capacity as co-prince of Andorra, Mitterrand and Joan Martí Alanis, who was Bishop of Urgell and therefore Andorra's other co-prince, signed Andorra's new constitution, which was later approved by referendum in the principality.

Related Topics:
2 February - 1993 - Andorra - Joan Martí Alanis - Bishop of Urgell - Constitution - Referendum - Principality

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Because the Left had had a series of defeats in national elections since 1958 when Mitterrand was elected in 1981, he was largely regarded as the savior of the Left and for this reason was highly regarded by many Socialists, perhaps to the point of ridicule (the so-called tontonmania, from tonton, or "uncle", Mitterrand's nickname). Critics contend that this led to complacency and tolerance for Mitterrand's shortcomings: a monarchic style of presidency reminiscent of that of Charles de Gaulle, lack of transparency regarding his early career and his ties to Vichy, and other scandals (see below).

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His term as President ended in May 1995. He was succeeded by Jacques Chirac, and Mitterrand died of advanced prostate cancer eight months later at the age of 79.

Related Topics:
1995 - Jacques Chirac - Prostate cancer

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His jewish wife, Danielle Mitterrand, is a left-wing militant, with whom he had two sons: Jean-Christophe and Gilbert Mitterrand. He also had a daughter, Mazarine Pingeot; see below. His nephew Frédéric Mitterrand is a journalist, and his brother in law Roger Hanin a well-known actor.

Related Topics:
Danielle Mitterrand - Left-wing - Militant - Mazarine Pingeot - Frédéric Mitterrand - Roger Hanin

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