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How Gauche is Mitterrand?
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14236 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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| Issue
Date : |
7 / 1988 |
2,206 Words |
| Author
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Bernard Mitjavile
Bernard Mitjavile is a Paris-based correspondent for the New
York City Tribune. |
"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
... (1992 of 13708 Characters)
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