François Mitterrand

French politician. Born on October 26th in Charente, southwestern France, as the son of a stationmaster, he studied at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. He started out as a journalist, was captured by the German army at the beginning of World War II, but escaped and joined the anti-German resistance. In 1945, he participated in the founding of the Union of Democratic Socialists and Resistance (UDSR), and the following year, in 1946, he became a member of the National Assembly (1946-1958, 1962-1981). He held important positions under the Fourth Republic, including Minister of Overseas Territories in the Pleban cabinet (1950-1951), Minister of the Interior in the Mendes cabinet (1954-1955), and Minister of Justice in the Morey cabinet (1956-1957). He was opposed to the de Gaulle regime from 1958 onwards, and was appointed first secretary when the New Socialist Party was founded in 1971. In 1972, he compiled a left-wing joint platform with the Communist Party. In the 1965 and 1974 presidential elections, he challenged de Gaulle and Giscard d'Estaing as the unified left-wing candidate, respectively, and lost both times by a narrow margin. In the 1981 presidential election, he defeated the incumbent Giscard d'Estaing, erasing the impression of being a perennial underdog and becoming the first Socialist president under the Fifth Republic. After assuming office, he tried to fulfill his election pledges, such as abolishing the death penalty, strengthening the status of workers in companies, extending annual paid holidays to five weeks, decentralizing, and nationalizing some industries, but the economic situation did not improve, and austerity measures were forced from 1983. The victory of the conservatives in the 1986 general election and the birth of the Chirac administration brought about a new situation of a "cohabitation" (conservative-progressive coexistence government) with a reformist president and a conservative prime minister. He has written many books, including memoirs. He served as president for two terms, 14 years, until 1995.

[Tetsuya Hirase]

"Now in France - Mitterrand's Socialism" by F. Mitterrand, translated by Tetsuo Sawara (1982, Simul Publishing Co.)" ▽ "The Road to the Presidency, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 by F. Mitterrand, translated by Taro Kawashima and Masaru Sato (1982, Kosaido Publishing)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

フランスの政治家。10月26日フランス南西部シャラント県に駅長の子として生まれ、パリの政治学院に学ぶ。ジャーナリストとして出発し、第二次世界大戦当初ドイツ軍の捕虜となるが脱走して対独レジスタンスに参加。1945年に民主社会主義抗戦同盟（UDSR）の創立に参加し、翌1946年から下院議員（1946～1958、1962～1981）。第四共和政下でプレバン内閣の海外領土相（1950～1951）、マンデス・フランス内閣の内相（1954～1955）、モレ内閣の法相（1956～1957）をはじめ要職を歴任した。1958年以来のドゴール体制には終始反対し、1971年の新社会党結成に際して第一書記に就任。1972年には共産党との間に左翼共同綱領をまとめた。1965年と1974年の大統領選挙に左翼統一候補としてそれぞれドゴールとジスカール・デスタンに挑戦しともに僅少(きんしょう)差で敗れたが、1981年の大統領選挙では現職のジスカール・デスタンを破って万年負け犬の印象を一掃し、第五共和政下初の社会党出身大統領となった。就任後は死刑廃止、企業内の労働者の地位強化、年間有給休暇の5週間への延長、地方分権化、一部の産業の国有化など選挙公約の実現に努めたが、経済情勢は好転せず、1983年から緊縮策を余儀なくされた。1986年の総選挙での保守派の勝利とシラク政権誕生は、革新派大統領と保守派首相の「コアビタシオン（保革共存政権）」という新事態を招いた。回想録など著書多数。1995年まで2期14年間、大統領を務めた。

［平瀬徹也］

『F・ミッテラン著、早良哲夫訳『いまフランスでは――ミッテランの社会主義』（1982・サイマル出版会）』▽『F・ミッテラン著、川島太郎・佐藤昌訳『大統領への道』上下（1982・広済堂出版）』

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