General review of article ==

The Wikipedia article on François Mitterrand, who served as president of France from 1981 to 1995, does not take a neutral stance on the man and his career. The language, organization and fact choices of the article make clear the author’s negative opinion of Mitterrand. Even though the sources of information for the article are weak, the author attempts to convey the disreputable nature of his career by citing various scandals and controversies. Because the author is biased, it is difficult to obtain an accurate picture of Mitterrand from reading this article.

By the end of the third paragraph, with the comment about Mitterrand denying having received the Francisque, the author is already trying to establish Mitterrand’s sketchy past. He or she is trying to persuade the reader that Mitterrand was a less than honorable man who will be remembered more for scandals than for what he accomplished during his presidency. The author mentions Charles de Gaulle’s supposed dislike of Mitterrand, his covering up of illegal acts during the repression of the independence movement, and a possible attempt to stage his own assassination. Other scandals include false health reports, adultery, and an anti-terror cell he set up that may have “obtained wiretaps on journalists, politicians and other personalities who may have been an impediment for Mitterrand’s personal affairs.” Scandals are mentioned throughout the article and the author ends with a section devoted to them, so the reader is left with little recollection of Mitterrand’s accomplishments but a strong memory of the controversy that surrounded the president’s career. 

Though the author uses phrases like “he was said to,” one senses that the author is assuming that the alleged stories are fact, and that he has drawn conclusions about Mitterrand based on those stories. Also, the author mentions Mitterrand in relation to other leaders and sometimes it appears that Mitterrand does not measure up. The author seems to favor Charles de Gaulle, noting that Mitterrand was “one of the few to object to the nomination of Charles de Gaulle as head of the government and de Gaulle’s plan for a French Fifth Republic.” The author also uses a phrase usually applied to de Gaulle’s decline to Mitterrand’s decline (“crossing of the desert”). When discussing Mitterrand’s annual laying of a wreath on Philippe Pétain’s grave, the author makes sure to remark that “the annual tributes…marked a departure from those of his predecessors.”

The article is convincing in its portrayal of Mitterrand as a controversial figure whose career was characterized by some major accomplishments but also a great deal of scandal. The article also convinces the reader that much about Mitterrand is not known for sure; there is a fair amount of speculation surrounding all of it. It appears that the author tries to downplay Mitterrand’s accomplishments and convince the reader that his legacy is not a good one. This is not convincing however, because Mitterrand served longer as president than any other man; he must have been more popular than the author makes him out to be.

The sources for this article appear inadequate. Unlike some Wikipedia articles, this article does not have a bibliography or list of references so it is unclear where the author is getting his information. He says that one piece of information comes from author Jean Montaldo but does not list the book. There are three numbered links within the article: two links to articles from the French newspaper Le Monde, and one link to an article on netscape.qc.ca. While these are acceptable sources, they cannot compare to primary sources or articles from historical journals. The lack of adequate sources makes some of the author’s claims questionable.

The quality of writing of the article is not outstanding. There is a typo in the second paragraph: “an mid-level functionary.” At times it is a bit choppy and the paragraphs do not always flow into each other perfectly. The author also devotes an entire section to the famous last meal, and only briefly mentions Mitterrand’s personal life at the end of the presidency section. The article ends with a paragraph that states Mitterrand personally authorized what New Zealand called their first terror attack, which is an interesting choice for a conclusion that leaves the reader associating Mitterrand with terror and bombing. The inclusion of the discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is puzzling and seems unnecessary, as do the two paragraphs about Bérégovoy and Pelat. It appears that some pieces of information were included simply to paint a more negative portrait of Mitterrand. 

I would have liked to know more about Mitterrand’s “great projects,” because the projects that are listed seem to be very significant structures in France. Some additional information about his personal life woul