Louis Mermaz entered the French political scene in the 1950s, becoming one of François Mitterrand’s lieutenants in the Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance (UDSR). He was born in Paris in 1931 and has an agrégation in history.
In 1971, he became a member of the National Political Bureau of the French Socialist Party and actively contributed to the left-wing victory in 1981. Following Mitterrand’s re-election in 1988, he headed several ministries. He has served in various capacities: as a member of the National Assembly for the Isère, as president of a local council, mayor of Vienne from 1971 to 2001, and as Senator for the Isère until 2011.

Sixty years in the political life of the French Left, recounted by one of François Mitterrand’s loyal followers.
Throughout those six decades, Mermaz was active in every political battle of the Left, in victory and defeat: from his role in the opposition during the effervescent 1960s; to the founding and consolidation of the Socialist Party, and the 1981 victory of the Left; to the tensions and difficulties inherent in the exercise of power, during Mitterrand’s two seven-year terms; then, the return to the opposition, which lasted till 2012 and victory of the Socialist President François Hollande.
Based on his long experience, the author recounts key historical moments lucidly and objectively, offering a vivid inside view of sixty years of French politics.

• A crucial testimonial on the Mitterrand years.
• A major figure in French Socialism reviews his political trajectory.
• Other works by Louis Mermaz: Les Geôles de la République (Stock, 2011); L’Autre Volonté (R. Laffont, 1984).