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Mitterrand’s presidential election victory on May 10, 1981 and the French Socialist politics

  • Korean Review of French History
  • Abbr : KRFH
  • 2023, (49), pp.135~170
  • DOI : 10.51786/RCHF.2023.08.49.135
  • Publisher : KOREAN SOCIETY FOR FRENCH HISTORY
  • Research Area : Humanities > History
  • Received : August 2, 2023
  • Accepted : August 20, 2023
  • Published : August 31, 2023

MIN YOU-KI 1

1경희대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to analyze the historical significance of Mitterrand’s presidential victory in 1981 and the socialist politics of the early years of his presidency. A sole candidate for the Left Alliance against De Gaulle in the 1965 presidential election, Mitterrand became president of the Socialist Party in 1971 and promoted a Left-wing coalition with the Communist and Radical parties. In the 1975 presidential election, he narrowly lost to Giscard d’Estaing, but went on to win the presidency as a Socialist candidate in 1981. In the early years of President Mitterrand’s presidency, socialist politics contributed to the development of economic democracy, including the nationalization of industries, reduction of working hours, and increase of workers’ rights. Due to the economic recession, the socialist government switched to austerity in 1983, but effectively managed social security and public services, and gradually embraced neoliberalism. The Left politics in France, which was different from conservative politics in Britain and the USA at the same time, created the main features of contemporary French society.

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