PARIS : The Mitterrand Decade

“Ten years is enough,” Francois Mitterrand is often quoted as having said of his illustrious predecessor, Charles de Gaulle.

But on Friday, the French president marks the anniversary of his own decade in office with every indication that he will, in a few months, pass De Gaulle’s longevity record.

A proclaimed Socialist, Mitterrand is credited with destroying the once-potent French Communist Party politically and supervising a liberalization of his nation’s economy.

Now in the midst of his second seven-year term, the 74-year-old president has seen his approval rating in public opinion polls fall recently from 77% to 55%.