France: To Run Or Not to Run?

For potential contenders in the 1988 French presidential race, the main question is whether President Francois Mitterrand will run. Last week the popular President deepened speculation with a deliberate- ly ambiguous pronouncement. Speaking to a group of reporters at a military camp in southwestern France, Mitterrand said, “Every time I think about that question, everything within me says, ‘No, I won’t be a candidate’. . . Could anything happen to make me think that’s a mistake? I cannot imagine it.” +

The Conservative daily Le Figaro dismissed the announcement as “mere twaddle.” Jean-Claude Gaudin, a leader of the majority, grumbled, “The more Mitterrand says no, the more likely it is yes.” A more probable assessment was offered by Jean-Jack Queyranne of the President’s Socialist Party: “Mitterrand’s brief remark served as a pointed reminder that he is still President — and master of the game.”