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François Mitterrand
Serving as France’s president from 1981 to 1995 and leading its first Socialist presidency under the Fifth Republic.
Death penalty abolished · Decentralisation
- Born
- 26 October 1916
- Birthplace
- Jarnac, France
- Died
- 8 January 1996
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François Mitterrand was a French politician whose presidency combined domestic reforms, European integration and periods of power-sharing with conservative governments.
Early life
Provincial childhood
Grew up in Jarnac and attended school in Angoulême.
Paris studies
Studied law and politics before the Second World War.
Career
- 1946
National parliament
Won election as a deputy.
- 1971
Socialist leadership
Became first secretary of the Socialist Party.
- 1981
Presidency
Defeated Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and later won re-election.
Selected work
Death penalty abolished
His government secured abolition under justice minister Robert Badinter.
Decentralisation
Reforms transferred powers to regional and local government.
Maastricht Treaty
Campaigned for French approval of European integration.
Beyond work
Wartime record
Worked for the Vichy administration before joining the Resistance.
Family
Married Danielle Gouze, later a human-rights campaigner.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and career ↗Further source ↗Photo: Comet Photo AG (Zürich). CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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