Francois Mitterrand Detail

About Francois Mitterrand Detail

See Mitterrand main entry. He was the longest serving French president, governing from 1981 to 1995. Mitterrand started as a Vichy official before joining the Resistance, a controversial past he concealed. He had a secret second family and daughter Mazarine, hidden from the public for decades. Mitterrand pursued grand architectural projects including the Louvre Pyramid, the Bastille Opera, and the National Library. He served with cancer, concealed from the public. He died months after leaving office in 1996. His 14 year presidency transformed Paris architecturally and France politically.