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How Gauche is Mitterrand?
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14236 |
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CURRENT ISSUES
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7 / 1988 |
2,206 Words |
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Bernard Mitjavile
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"A united France" was the central theme of President François Mitterrand's reelection campaign. Along with Mitterrand's reiterated calls for "an opening to the Center," enlarging his (socialist) political "family," these words have touched a sensitive chord in the hearts of the French people, who are tired of ideological battles.
His words evoked a future in which France would be governed by a president who surmounted the traditional Left-Right division, someone who would avoid radical reform and gather all moderates of goodwill.
With the skill of projecting himself as a father figure above party politics, Mitterrand won a landslide victory (54 percent of the vote) over Gaullist candidate Jacques Chirac. In so doing, Mitterrand made an astonishing recovery from his mere 30 percent popularity vote two years ago.
In the final runoff against Chirac, Mitterrand managed to rally not only his usual socialist voters but also a spectrum of people ranging from dissident communists to supporters of the far Right.
When, in the week following his reelection, Mitterrand nominated a socialist-dominated government, dissolved the National Assembly, and set the date for new parliamentary elections in June, the French people were rudely awakened from their cherished dream of a "united France."
According to a survey published in Le Monde a day after the new government was formed, 45 percent of those polled said they were disappointed that the new cabinet was dominated by the Socialist Party. Only 27 percent were pleased.
Mitterrand's prime minister-designate, Michel Rocard, filled the first of many key cabinet posts given to the socialists who had been cabinet members in 1984-86. During this period, the socialist government reached its lowest popularity ratings before being cast out by a Chirac-led Center-Right coalition. Mitterrand said he dissolved the National Assembly because Center-Right figures rejected his offer to participate in the government.
Centrist leaders have strongly denied that Mitterrand made any serious offers to them and said that his talks about making an opening to the Center to enlarge his political family were intended to deceive the electorate. Many believe he was already planning new parliamentary elections.
According to commentators, the main reason behind Mitterrand's decision is that the socialists have a better chance of winning a controlling majority now, immediately after his triumphant reelection, than if he waited until this fall.
"They (the socialists) want first to crush us in the elections and then to give us a helping hand in offering minor government posts. This is what they call an opening to the center," said Pierre Mehaignerie, leader of the Center of Social Democrats Party.
The about face
The Gaullists and the strongly conservative National Front of Jean-Marie Le Pen also criticized Mitterrand's decision, as
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