ABSTRACT
Francois Mitterrand’s canonisation as a great European statesman in the 1988 presidential campaign reflected the extent of his achievement in the sphere of European policy in the preceding seven years. Most observers agreed that Mitterrand’s political career had been characterised by a consistent espousal of the cause of European integration. One effect of the Franco-German dispute during the months October 1989–April 1990 was that the commitment on both sides to the European ideal emerged strengthened, and that more practical steps were taken towards European monetary and political union than might otherwise have been the case. Mitterrand’s foreign policy activity was the most coherent during periods of relative international stability, when the behaviour of leading actors could be predicted and initiatives carefully planned. In the context of rapid change in international relations after 1989, Mitterrand seemed rather disoriented, unfamiliar with the emerging world order, and distrustful of the emerging nationalism in central and Eastern Europe.
