Anne Lauverjon denies “her” Mitterrand to the point of denial

Thirty years later, the influence of Francois Mitterrand (1916-1996) on those around him is still felt. Thus, Anne Lauvergeon, the former CEO of Areva, who today runs Anne Lauvergeon Partners, her consulting and investment company, published on Wednesday, April 17, nature (Grassetti, 384 pages, €23), an impressionistic and appreciative account of the five years following the former socialist president.

One evening in June 1994, Francois Mitterrand promised a woman he had appointed as secretary general of the Élysée and as a “Sherpa” – a personal representative responsible for preparing international summits. “One day we will write a book about these years, our exchanges, our conversations”. The young woman, who was then 34, countered: There are so many people who are going to write their own “Mitterand and I”Or even theirs “Me and Mitterrand”he protests. “Do this book in ten years, do it in twenty years. Do it when you want, but do it! Promise me you’ll write it down.”Francois Mitterrand, who was afraid of oblivion, of this second death, tells him “more tragic” than the first because the final.

The mining engineer, by his own admission, struggled a lot before finding the time, tone, and method. The first edition was announced by Grasset in 2015, which was unsuccessful. He finally decides to go as easy as possible “See what I saw, our conversations, his way of working and his way of life”. But by refraining from judging or distancing anyone who would still leave the Elysée after fourteen years, a contrasting record.

“Compartmentalization to the extreme”

It’s history “staff” Reflects Mitterrand “shy”, “With impressive silence”, is skilled in rarefied speech without needing to see the influence of communicator Jacques Pilhan. does not want to think “small things”Because the government official does not want to “Act as an office manager of the Ministry of Finance”. knew “Elevating Delay to a Fine Art Quality”But it is difficult to support others. “Ah, there you are Jacques! we were waiting for you”he said at the end of the 1992 Rio summit to European Commission President Jacques Delors, who had just joined him at the Concorde in Paris. before leaving “Don’t talk to him the whole trip”.

François Mitterrand organized his life “in the boxes”Perfectly sealed from each other, Anne Lauverjon testifies. Regularly invited to Sunday dinners in the rue de Bièvre around Daniel Mitterrand, he learned “Elysée Press Service Adviser” The presence of a hidden girl. “He took compartmentalization to an extreme. He knows how to come and leave a given circle without any argument other than “I must go,” “It’s time,” or “I’m expected,” on days of great intimacy.describes it.