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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
David Coffey

The ambiguous legacy of François Mitterrand, France's transformational president

François Mitterrand Philip Short France RFI Helmut Kohl Jacques Chirac Resistance Rwanda POW Socialist Party
French President François Mitterrand speaks at the Elysée Palace in Paris on 18 May 1989. © AFP - DANIEL JANIN

Three decades after his death, François Mitterrand remains a defining yet contested figure in French politics. His biographer tells RFI why Mitterand's ambiguous blend of ideology and power continues to shape political debates, both at home and abroad.

Mitterand died on 8 January 1996, yet he remains a presence in French politics.

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