Mitterrand

François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 1916 – 8 January 1996) was a French statesman and a leading figure of the French Socialist Party (Parti Socialiste, PS). He served as President of the French Republic from 1981 to 1995, the longest presidency in modern French history, and played a central role in both domestic reform and European integration.

Born in Jarnac, Charente, Mitterrand studied law and began his political career with the SFIO after World War II. He held various government and party positions during the Fourth Republic and emerged as a prominent PS leader. In 1981, he was elected president, defeating incumbent Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. His early presidency was marked by leftist economic measures, including nationalizations of key industries and banks and an expansion of social protections, as well as the abolition of the death penalty in 1981.

Facing economic difficulties, his government enacted a more market-friendly shift in 1983, leading to privatizations and structural reforms pursued in subsequent years. On the international front, Mitterrand advanced European integration, supporting the Schengen Agreement (1985) and the Maastricht Treaty process (1992), which laid the groundwork for a broader European Union.

Mitterrand’s presidency also featured a period of cohabitation with right-wing prime ministers, most notably Jacques Chirac from 1986 to 1988, and later Édouard Balladur (1993–1995). His personal life became widely known when his daughter with Anne Pingeot, Mazarine, was revealed in 1994, and he remained married to Danielle Mitterrand, a noted humanitarian.

Mitterrand died in Paris in 1996. His legacy is debated: he is credited with modernizing France and strengthening Europe, while his economic policies and wartime record have been topics of continuous scrutiny.