May 1981, Victoire de la gauche or Victoire de Mitterrand?

Audio 48:30

Celebration at the Bastille after the election of François Mitterrand as President of the Republic, May 10, 1981. © DOMINIQUE FAGET / AFP

By: Valérie Nivelon

50 mins

When Mitterrand was elected President of the Republic in May 1981, it was a historic victory for the left and a political revolution.

By winning the presidential elections against outgoing President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, François Mitterrand is opening up another path, that of alternation, that of change, that of socialism.

But who really won, the Union of the Left or François Mitterrand?

Publicity

To the sounds of our RFI and INA archives, we relive the 1970s and the soap opera of the Union of the Left.

A program produced by Sophie Janin, with the help of our intern Arthur Deplante.

Thanks to our librarians Charles Barre, Eugénie Ducret and Laurence Sarniguet.

Also with the participation of Florent Léone, for his documentary "A political revolution, 1969-1983".

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  • French politics

  • François Mitterrand

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