Thorns among the roses: A year of the socialist experiment in France

The election of President Mitterrand in May 1981 promised a new era of social and economic reform. The Socialist appeal to national solidarity sought a consensus to promote social justice and to revive the economy. After an initial period of grace during which a number of reforms were implemented, the government encountered increasing difficulties, partly caused by the international economic situation but also due to a failure to win business confidence and to the inconsistencies of its own policies. In consequence, the government was forced to introduce a range of deflationary and austerity measures which put the whole of its reforming strategy in question.