Word: mollet
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...judge by statistics alone, the new French government of Socialist Guy Mollet was off to a sensational start, voted into power with the biggest plurality given to any Premier since 1947. The National Assembly elected Mollet by an impressive 420 to 71. "I have so many votes," said Mollet wryly, "I'd like to be able to save some for the next time...
...well he might. His actual political base in Parliament is so narrow that the first misstep is likely to send him tumbling. A huge chunk of supporting votes (150) came from the Communists, whose support Socialist Mollet disavowed. Another big batch came from enemies who felt that the least they could do for their country, while deciding how best to unseat Mollet, was to save France from the fate of a government coming into power solely because of Communist votes...
...Discontented. Mollet's coalition began crumbling in the first moments of spoils-dividing. Pierre Mendès-France, pouting over the electoral results that made Mollet and not himself the senior partner in their left-wing coalition, could not be Foreign Minister (because Good European Mollet mistrusts the man who killed EDC), and would not be Finance Minister (because Mendès opposes Socialist monetary doctrine). So Mendès accepted the office of Minister of State without Portfolio and went off into a vast chandeliered office, there (Socialists feared) to ponder fresh ways to get back to power...
President Coty had already decided to do just that. The man he sent for was 50-year-old Socialist Party Leader Guy Mollet, the onetime English teacher from Pas-de-Calais (TIME, Jan. 23). After some tight dickering with his electoral ally, Pierre Mendès-France, Mollet settled on a Cabinet, giving Mendès the job of Deputy Premier without portfolio (instead of Foreign Minister, which Mendes desired). For Foreign Minister he reached instead into his own party for Good European Christian Pineau. 51, stepson of Playwright Jean (The Madwoman of Chaillot) Giraudoux and himself an author...
...Communists, "we will treat them like any other party," said Mollet last week. "We won't attempt to have our Cabinet defeated, but we won't make deals." In other words, Mollet would take support where he could get it, and hope he could get away with...