Word: mitterrand
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...need to decentralize the French government. Borrowing an idea from fellow Socialist Michel Rocard, he proposes to replace the Paris-appointed prefects who preside over the nation's 96 départements with locally elected officials. The aim: to put government back in the hands of the people. Mitterrand will also push for greater worker participation in the management of companies...
...Mitterrand's talk of decentralization, his economic policies seem to promise instead a significant expansion of government. His employment plan, for example, would create a minimum of 210,000 state-financed jobs over the next year at an estimated cost of $2.2 billion. Another 950,000 work places would be created over the next three years by reducing the work week to 35 hours, while retirement age would be reduced to 60 for men, 55 for women...
...Mitterrand's nationalization plans have not caused nearly as much dismay in business circles as his talk of restructuring France's current trade patterns, reports TIME Correspondent William Blaylock. The new President proposes, for example, to protect French industries and reduce imports by reinforcing trade restrictions against Japan. That could ultimately disrupt relations with France's other traditional trading partners and even jeopardize its commitment to the European Community...
...Under Mitterrand, France's role in the world will probably change less than economic policy at home-although his vagueness on foreign affairs makes it difficult to foresee his ultimate course. For example, he has called for a "redefinition" of NATO members' obligations; at the same time, his reluctance to modernize French nuclear weapons implies a greater dependence on NATO's protection. During the campaign, Mitterrand effectively attacked Giscard for his weak responses to the Soviet arms buildup in Europe and the invasion of Afghanistan. Yet the Socialist leader never explained clearly what it was he would...
...Mitterrand's habitual vagueness has been tied to a long-standing political strategy that sought to appeal to the broadest possible range of supporters. Twice in the past seven years, the left under Mitterrand's leadership has come breathlessly close to power, only to lose elections at the last minute as French voters flinched at the specter of Socialists and Communists sharing power. The years of tactical hedging are over. For Mitterrand, the presidency is a liberation. Only now will France, and the rest of the world, learn what kind of leadership the voters have chosen in their...