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Pierre Bérégovoy | |
|---|---|
 Pierre Bérégovoy in the 1980’s | |
| Prime Minister of France | |
| In office 2 April 1992 – 29 March 1993 | |
| President | François Mitterrand |
| Preceded by | Édith Cresson |
| Succeeded by | Édouard Balladur |
| Minister of State Minister of Economics, Finance and Budget | |
| In office 13 May 1988 – 2 April 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Édouard Balladur (Economy and Finances) Alain Juppé (Budget) |
| Succeeded by | Michel Sapin (Economy and Finances) Michel Charasse (Budget) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Pierre Eugène Bérégovoy (1925-12-23)23 December 1925 Déville-lès-Rouen, France |
| Died | 1 May 1993(1993-05-01) (aged 67) Nevers, France |
| Political party | SFIO (until 1959) PSU (1960–69) PS (1969–93) |
| Occupation | Metallurgist, politician |
Pierre Eugène Bérégovoy (French:[pjɛʁøʒɛnbeʁeɡɔvwa]; 23 December 1925 – 1 May 1993) was a French politician who served asPrime Minister of France under PresidentFrançois Mitterrand from 2 April 1992 to 29 March 1993. He was a member of theSocialist Party andMember of Parliament forNièvre's 1st constituency.
Pierre Bérégovoy was born inDéville-lès-Rouen to a French mother and aUkrainian father (original family nameБереговий in Ukrainian orБереговой in Russian) who had left theRussian Empire after theRussian Civil War.
He started his professional life at the age of 16 as a qualified metal worker. He got involved in politics following his activities in theFrench Resistance – while working atSNCF duringWorld War II. A member of the socialistSFIO and of the trade unions confederationWorkers Force, he joined the staff of the Minister of Public Works and Transport,Christian Pineau, as adviser for relations with the trade unions in 1949. One year later, he became a technical agent atGaz de France.
In 1959, he left the SFIO and participated in the foundation of the dissidentUnified Socialist Party (PSU). He became an adviser ofPierre Mendès-France. In 1967, withAlain Savary, he created the pro-Mendès-France Union of Clubs for the Renewal of the Left. This group joined the renewedSocialist Party (PS) in 1969. He joined the executive group of the party behindFrançois Mitterrand, and participated notably in the negotiations of theCommon Program of the Union of the Left.
In 1981, following Mitterrand's election asPresident of France, he was chosen as Secretary General of the Presidency. One year later, he joined the cabinet asMinister of Social affairs. He was among the Socialist politicians who advised President Mitterrand to leave theEuropean Monetary System in order to continue Socialist economic policy. But in March 1983, Mitterrand listened to his Prime MinisterPierre Mauroy and ratified the change of economic policy.
Bérégovoy becameMinister of the Economy and Finance, from 1984 to the 1986 Socialist electoral defeat.
Elected mayor ofNevers in 1983, and deputy ofNièvredépartement in 1986, in the electoral land of Mitterrand, he was manager of the latter's1988 presidential campaign. After his re-election, at the time of each cabinet reshuffle, his name was mentioned as a possible prime minister. In the end, he returned to the Ministry of the Economy and Finance. In this function, he symbolized the adaptation of French socialism to the market economy and struck up hearty relations with employer representatives.
After the1992 regional elections, which were a disaster for the PS, he was finally appointedPrime Minister and formed a newminority government. He promised to fight unemployment, economic decline and corruption. During his inaugural speech in theFrench National Assembly, he claimed he knew the names of politicians from the right-wing opposition implicated in corruption scandals, causing a great hue and cry. Bérégovoy forced Bernard Tapie, his Minister of Urban Affairs, to resign in May 1992 after his indictment by the French justice. He thus created the misnamed "Balladur jurisprudence".[1] In social policy, a number of reforms were carried out. In November 1992 a law was passed that inserted a (arguably narrow) definition of sexual harassment into the labour code and empowered the labour inspectorate and workplace committees to enforce it.[2] In May 1992, increased aid was provided to farmers, mainly comprising reductions in the agricultural land tax and increased grants for young farmers.[3] In June 1992, the French parliament passed a bill which required mayors to encourage social mixing in public housing.[4] A law of 12 July 1992 was aimed at enhancing both the status of child-minders and "the quality of day care for children in a family environment," and a law of 29 July 1992 improved entitlement to medical assistance.[5] The Sapin law of January 1993 sought to prevent corruption and encourage transparency "in economic activities and public procedures,"[6] and a law of January 1993 established "the principle of joint parental authority in the legitimate family, even if a divorce occurs."[7] In addition, the coverage of housing benefits was extended,[8][9] and minimum requirements for social plans were introduced.[10]
After nearly a year asPrime Minister, Bérégovoy led the Socialist Party into the electoral collapse of theMarch 1993 parliamentary elections: the governing party, which previously held 260 seats (29 short from an overall majority), was reduced to only 53 seats, thus constituting the worst electoral defeat in the French left's history and one of the worst ever suffered by a governing party in French history. He resigned as PM on 29 March 1993.
Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic: 1981–1982.
Governmental functions
Prime Minister: 1992–1993.
Minister of Economy and Finances: 1984–1986 / 1988–1992.
Minister of Social Affairs: 1982–1984.
Electoral mandates
National Assembly of France
Member of theNational Assembly of France forNièvre: 1986–1988 (Became minister in 1988) / March–May 1993 (Died in May 1993). Elected in 1986, reelected in 1988, 1993.
General Council
General Councillor of theNièvre: 1985–1993 (Died in May 1993). Reelected in 1992.
Municipal Council
Mayor ofNevers: 1983–1993 (Died in May 1993). Reelected in 1989.
Municipal councillor ofNevers: 1983–1993 (Died in May 1993). Reelected in 1989.
Bérégovoy killed himself with a gunshot on 1 May 1993.[11] Friends said he had been depressed ever since he lost the March legislative election in which his Socialist Party won only 67 out of 577 parliamentary seats. Bérégovoy was also being investigated concerning a one-million-franc interest-free loan he received from businessman and close friend, Roger-Patrice Pelat. Pelat had died of a heart attack on 7 March 1989, shortly after being found guilty in the Péchiney-Triangle affair.[11]
At Bérégovoy's funeral, held at Nevers in an atmosphere of tension and shock,François Mitterrand stated that media pressure in connection with the Pelat scandal was responsible for Bérégovoy's suicide. Targeting the press, he said Bérégovoy's "honour was thrown to the dogs", crediting him with "the grandeur of someone who chooses his destiny."[12]
Changes
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Secretary General to the President 1981–1982 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Social Affairs 1982–1984 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Economy and Finance 1984–1986 | Succeeded by |
| Minister of Budget 1984–1986 | Succeeded by | |
| Preceded by | Minister of Economy and Finance 1988–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Budget 1988–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of France 1992–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Defence 1993 | Succeeded by |
