Thirty years after François Mitterrand's death on January 8, 1996, two new books revisit his life and legacy. Jean Glavany, his former chief of staff, publishes intimate recollections, while historians offer a concise biography. In Jarnac, his birthplace, a modest commemoration gathers a few socialist figures, highlighting a legacy fading on the left.
François Mitterrand passed away on January 8, 1996, succumbing to illness. To mark the 30th anniversary of this event, two books have been published. The first, François Mitterrand: Intimate Conversations (Perrin, 312 pages, 22 euros), is authored by Jean Glavany, who served as his chief of staff. It recounts their exchanges in fragments from their meeting at the Socialist Party in 1979 until the final years. Glavany recalls the night of May 10, 1981, in Château-Chinon (Nièvre), in room 15 of the Hôtel du Vieux-Morvan. He receives a call from Lionel Jospin announcing the electoral victory. Mitterrand, unflappable, replies: 'Well, we'll see about that later.' Another anecdote illustrates his philosophy: 'You will learn that even the very urgent can always wait a bit.'
At the Élysée Palace, Glavany accompanied the president everywhere, including on a flight where Anne Pingeot, a close friend, joined them. They discussed Greek antiquities in a conversation of remarkable erudition.
The second book, Mitterrand (PUF, 224 pages, 16 euros), is a scalpel-sharp biography by historians Judith Bonnin and Pierre-Emmanuel Guigo.
Meanwhile, in Jarnac (Charente), a modest procession takes place on January 8, 2026, to honor his memory. François Hollande, president of the François Mitterrand Institute, Jean Glavany, six senators, and ten local officials are present, but PS leaders like Olivier Faure and Boris Vallaud are absent, tied up in budget discussions. Only a small group of about twenty socialist militants attends, with Amin Mbarki sent by the party leadership.
This event highlights a waning legacy on the left. Deputy Arthur Delaporte, 34, explains: 'It's a question of generation. We are less inclined to claim this heritage than our predecessors. Around François Mitterrand, there remains either admiration for the man and his trajectory, or a form of mistrust because of his rough edges, his dark sides. He is divisive for some on the left.' Unlike Jean Jaurès or Léon Blum, Mitterrand, despite two seven-year terms, no longer inspires the same memorial fervor among socialists, except for figures like Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
