Pierre Mauroy (French:[pjɛʁmoʁwa]; 5 July 1928 – 7 June 2013) was a French politician who wasPrime Minister of France from 1981 to 1984 under PresidentFrançois Mitterrand. Mauroy also served asMayor ofLille from 1973 to 2001 and President of theSocialist International from 1992 to 1999. At the time of his death, Mauroy was the emeritus mayor of the city of Lille.
Mauroy was born inCartignies. The son of a schoolteacher, Mauroy became a technical education teacher in Colombes and in 1955 was elected general secretary of the Union of Technical Education Colleges within the National Education Federation.[1] He also led the Socialist Youth Movement and became a leading figure in the Socialist federation ofNorddépartement, which was among the third biggest of theFrench Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) party and climbed quickly in the party. In 1966, he became the second most powerful person of the party behind the secretary general,Guy Mollet. Nevertheless, when Mollet resigned as leader in 1969,Alain Savary was chosen to succeed him.
Mauroy also led an important national association of youth clubs[2] and was a trades unionist.[3] From a working-class background,[4] Mauroy represented (according to one observer) "the old working-class bastions of the north."[5]
After the electoral disasters of1968 and1969, he was persuaded of the necessity to renew the party. In 1971, during theEpinay Congress, he supportedFrançois Mitterrand's election to the party leadership and became the second most powerful person in theSocialist Party (PS). Two years later, he was elected as a deputy andMayor of Lille.[6]
Increasingly, Mauroy criticized the replacement of former SFIO members from important positions by allies of Mitterrand. In this, he formed an alliance withMichel Rocard, the main opponent of Mitterrand, during the 1979Metz Congress. However, Mitterrand chose him as spokesperson during the1981 presidential campaign; after Mitterrand's election, he appointed Mauroy as Prime Minister.
Within the PS, Mauroy was associated with a group that, according to one study, “tended toward standard social democracy – friendly to Rocard’s economic liberalism, but committed to traditional socialist goals.”[7]
Mauroy's government was a radical reforming one, implementing a wide range of social reforms including the reduction of the legal workweek from 40 to 39 hours,[8][9] the lowering of the retirement age to 60, and higher social welfare benefits.[10][11]
Mauroy in 1981
Various measures aimed at supporting farmers[12][13] and extending eligibility for early retirement were introduced[14] while Educational Priority Zones were set up to provide (as noted by one study) “additional resources to schools in depressed areas.”[15]
The availability of health insurance benefits was improved for the unemployed and for those working part-time,[16] and 1,500,000 old seniors were exempted from local taxes while 800,000 (as noted by one study) “did not have to pay television licenses.”[17] New rights for immigrants were introduced,[18] and a special entry pathway for those who had held union or political office was set up as a means of increasing access to the ENA; an elite political academy. Capital punishment was also brought to an end, along with high security wings in prisons and a state security court.[19] Homebuilding was encouraged,[20] and the maximum duration of unemployment insurance was extended.[21]
The Deferre Law of 1982 introduced directly elected regional councils.[22] while the Quillot Law of 1982 improved the rights of tenants[23] and the Auroux Laws of 1982 introduced new rights in the workplace.[24] A 1982 transportation law stipulated (as noted by one study) “that the government needs to provide reasonably priced public transport for all citizens.”[25] Also in 1982, the law that governed the age of consent for homosexual activity was reduced from 18 to 15 (as noted by one study) “to match the age of consent for heterosexual activity.”[26] Another law passed in 1982 allowed for the spouses of shopkeepers and artisans (as noted by one study) “to acquire social or work-related entitlements as co-workers, employees or associates.”[27] In 1983 a new minimum contributory pension was introduced,[28] while unemployment compensation was expanded (as noted by one study) “to include workers who had resigned from their jobs.”[29] Also in 1983, the right to deduct child care costs was extended to all children under the age of three,[30] the Loi Roudy provided for equal gender opportunities at work,[31] and a project was introduced for funding economic and social measures in certain housing estates.[32] An Act of January 1984 extended rights to parental leave,[33] and a law of February 1984 encouraged vocational training.[34]
During its first year in office, the Mauroy Government pursued an expansionary economic strategy known as “reflation in one country” which included measures such as the creation of several new posts in the public sector and increases in numerous social benefits. The government’s strategy, however, led to rises in both inflation and the budget deficit,[35] and from 1982 onwards austerity measures were carried out such as the introduction of daily hospital bed charges and cuts to unemployment benefits, housing allowances, early retirement guarantees, and a number of medical reimbursements.[36] Despite this, many increases made to social protection stayed intact.[37] In addition, according to one study, the percentage of the population living in ‘absolute’ poverty continued to fall until 1984; a trend that had started back in 1979.[38]
Failing to restrict the financing of private schools via theSavary Law,[39] he resigned in 1984.
In 1988 he became First Secretary of the PS against the will of Mitterrand, who supportedLaurent Fabius. The following year, Mauroy called for (as noted by one study) “an “ideological” party congress to reformulate Socialist ideas."[40] Until the end of his term, in 1992, he tried to appease the relations between the factions which composed the PS, notably during the very strained 1990Rennes Congress. He allied with therocardien group andLionel Jospin's supporters, who came from themitterrandist group.
President of theSocialist International from 1992 to 1999, Senator since 1992, he left the Lille mayoralty in 2001. He later supported the candidacy ofSégolène Royal during the 2007 presidential election andMartine Aubry during the 2011 socialist primary.[41]
From 1955 to 2013, Mauroy was a member of the governing bodies of the Northern Federation and the national bureau. In 1992, Mauroy established theFondation Jean-Jaurès; a political organization that he would serve as the president of for the rest of his life.[42]
Mauroy died from complications of lung cancer on 7 June 2013 at the age of 84.[43]
Member of theNational Assembly of France forNord (French department) (2nd, then 1st constituency from 1988 to 1992) : 1973–1981 (Became Prime minister in 1981) / 1984–1992 (Elected senator in 1992). Elected in 1973, reelected in 1978, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1988.[44]
29 June 1982 –Jean-Pierre Chevènement succeeds Dreyfus as Minister of Industry.Pierre Bérégovoy succeeds Questiaux as Minister of National Solidarity, becoming also Minister of Social Affairs.
Mauroy's Third Government, 22 March 1983 – 17 July 1984
