“During the Socialist presidency of Francois Mitterrand, French policy towards
South Africa has undergone something of a metamorphosis. – In 1985, relations
between the two countries reached a nadir when the government of Prime Minister
Laurent Fabius, unilaterally imposed limited sanctions on Pretoria. This development
was followed by French sponsorship of a UN Security Council resolution calling for voluntary sanctions against South Africa.
The narrow victory of the right in the 16 March parliamentary elections seems likely to impact upon bilateral relations between Paris and Pretoria. This paper will analyse the central tenets of Mitterrand’s South Africa policy, and assess the prospects for qualitative changes under the new Prime
Minister and National Assembly (parliament).”
