Continental Drifter

Ali Magoudi: "How do you react against such an intransigent women?"

François Mitterand: "What do you expect? You can't win a struggle against the insular syndrome of an unbridled Englishwoman. To provoke a nuclear war for small islands inhabited by three sheep who are as hairy as they are frozen! Fortunately I yielded to her. Otherwise, I assure you, The metallic index finger of the lady would press the button." (Rendez-vous: La psychanalyse de François Mitterand, by Ali Magoudi as published in The Sunday Times, November 12, 2005)

No prizes for guessing who the woman is...

I must admit, I've always had a fondness for Mitterand. Not for any political sympathies you understand, but you have to admire someone who can rule a country and yet retain such an adventurous private life. Private being the key word here. Much of it has only come to light in the years since his death almost ten years ago.

Comparisons with the Lewinsky débâcle, which almost ended Bill Clinton's presidency are obvious. Mitterand's illegitimate daughter only really entered the public domain when she appeared at his funeral, and even now people don't really seem to use it as a basis to question his presidential decision making. I saw a film a few months back (Le promeneur du Champ de Mars) which detailed the illness of Mitterand during the last few years of his presidency, giving the impression of a much weakened character, who still fought to maintain his authority.

I am reminded of the Michael Caine/Steve Martin film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. In it, Steve Martin is in a jail on the French Riviera having had an romantic liaison. Not understanding why he's been arrested, he says to the officer on duty: "I thought it was normal for Frenchmen to have affairs." To which the officer replies: "To have an affair is indeed French. To get caught is American!"

I'm sure Clinton would agree...

In another excerpt from the book which has been written by Ali Magoudi, psychoanalyst and would be confident of the former president, mentions how for many of the latter years of the presidency he didn't live with his wife, a fact which most of the country was blissfully unaware.

His relations with Mrs T seemed to have been somewhat warmer!:

Magoudi wanted to know how his patient felt about being “symbolically emasculated”, as the psychoanalyst put it. “You mean that in the face of such aggressiveness you remain passive?” he asked.

“I will have the last word,” Mitterrand replied. “Her island, it’s me who will destroy it. Her island, I swear that soon it will no longer be one. I will take my revenge. I will tie England to Europe, despite its natural tendency for isolation. How? I will build a tunnel under the Channel. Yes. I will succeed where Napoleon III failed.”

Clearly delighted with his vision, Mitterrand had no doubt he would persuade Thatcher to accept the tunnel. “I will flatter her shopkeeper spirit. I will tell her that the welding to the Continent will not cost the crown one kopeck. She will not resist this resonant argument.” (Source as before)

Good bit of European dialogue for you there.