Change life itself
Lessons for our world 40 years after François Mitterrand’s pivotal election & Launching Green Helmets across the globe
May 10 1981 rocked the Western world as Mitterrand’s election propelled the French Left to power. His 3rd try after 1965 and 1974 capped off decades long political experience as Minister for French Colonies, the Interior, Justice and more.
Path to power
The son of Southwestern “petite bourgeoisie” Mitterrand’s path during WW2 was much like France’s: resigned to Pétain in 40 and a Résistant in 42–43.
Mitterrand was elected to post war Parliament on a center right platform and his singular insight was that he could, as an outsider, unite the fractious Left. His bold takeover of the Socialist Party in 1971 and his cunning plan to cannibalize the Communists worked beyond his own forecast. A worried President Reagan sent VP HW Bush to Paris in 1981 and Bush was told by Mitterrand how he planned to reduce the Communists to single digits.
Mitterrand’s twin legacies: positive/negative
The first Leftist elected to the French Presidency, Mitterrand’s positive legacy is immense: he and his team (including Jacques Attali) liberated French media, kept European-focused policies even in the face of severe economic fallout, abolished the death penalty and devolved power to the regional and local levels, a difficult task in Jacobin France.
His negative legacy is also quite large: his dirigisme did not prevent de-industrialization and a certain déclassement for France’s economy, he kept questionable individuals (Tapie) and collaborationists (Bousquet) in his entourage and disgusted many Left voters as a result.
One of the last politicians to claim his election could Change Life Itself
As we close the first quarter of the 21st century, few if any politicians claim the ability to change life itself. Mitterrand’s pitch to France in 1981 is one of the last instances of such a bold ambition.
Who are the leaders today in Europe, the Americas and Asia striving to be as bold ?
Climate action is the key area of necessary mobilization for all generations of leaders. The Paris Accord is the playbook for our collective rebirth and the opportunity to build a better way for billions of us.
Public entities are prime players but private initiatives such as RenewWest (reforestation of the American west) and other do-ers are essential and need all our support, financial and societal.
We will make the 22nd century what it needs to be: diverse and inclusive, techno-human and focused on regeneration.
Who speaks of preparing the future and establishing strong foundations for the 22nd century ? Too few it seems, save for global thinkers like Douglas Rushkoff, Nassim Taleb, Anand Giridharadas, Naomi Klein, Nilofer Merchant, Amy Webb, Jurgen Habermas, Sarah Kendzior and Jacques Attali.
Who are the do-ers ?
Jacqueline Novogratz from Acumen Fund whose patient capitalism is awe inspiring, Mike Smith, whose RenewWest is working with land trusts to reforest the American West, Boyan Slat a Dutch teenager cleaning up the oceans.
We need to re-humanize ourselves, our environment and have faith that, as a recent top politician summed up: we are the change we are waiting for and yes, we can.
Climate action is the necessary next step: President Biden’s Climate Corps is a concrete first step “A part of Biden’s American Jobs Plan calls for $10 billion to launch a new large-scale 21st century CCC to combat the 21st century problem. The Civilian Climate Corps, as it would be called, would employ thousands of young people to address the threat of climate change, strengthen the country’s natural defenses and maintain its ailing public lands.”
The Global Climate Corps aka Green Helmets
needs to be replicated across the globe.
Lobby your elected representatives !
Disclosure: I come from a center right political background and supported Sarkozy in 07 and Macron in 17 (2015 call for realists to unite, 2017 personal support and an oped in Libération)
