Jean-Louis Bianco, former Secretary General of the Élysée under President François Mitterrand, former Minister, former Deputy, and President of the General Council of Alpes de Haute-Provence, has been the President of the Observatory of Secularism since April 5, 2013.
Yesterday, he was in Nice for a conference on the Mitterrand years on this dual anniversary of the centenary of his birth and the twentieth anniversary of the former President of the Republic’s death.
It was an opportunity to sign his latest book “My Years with Mitterrand”, a collection of memories and episodes, and … respond to our inquiries.
Nice Premium: Those Mitterrand years … well, tell us about them.
Jean-Louis Bianco: They began in 1981 as a project manager at the Élysée where I wrote reports. A year later, it was, “We are considering you for the position of Secretary General.” It was with these words that François Mitterrand, President of the Republic, welcomed me into his office one evening in June 1982. I was to remain Secretary General for nine years, a longevity record under the Fifth Republic, before taking on ministerial responsibilities in Social Affairs and Equipment.
Nice Premium: The Secretary General is the President’s first collaborator, someone who can speak directly to them. A man of ceremony and influence.
Jean-Louis Bianco: François Mitterrand had many friends and was accustomed to seeking multiple pieces of advice. During his first term, the most influential person was his personal advisor Jacques Attali, who had brought me to the Élysée. In fact, I was fortunate to participate, alongside François Mitterrand, in a unique moment in French history with the left coming to power.
Nice Premium: You were still at the center of the State apparatus…
Jean-Louis Bianco: The role of the Secretary General, from which potential influence can derive, involves having several daily meetings with the President of the Republic to discuss the running of the country. He must be like a mechanical engineer: the person who ensures the machinery turns between the President and the government, as well as with Parliament and major economic and social leaders.
Nice Premium: The question arises from general curiosity. Is there any Mitterrand in François Hollande?
Jean-Louis Bianco: They are different. Differences in generation, in culture. But there are also similarities, such as a certain penchant for secrecy. François Hollande, like François Mitterrand, does not reveal his decision until it is fully matured, does not let on in which direction he will lean. Then there is the presidential stature, the ability to stay the course in difficult times, which made François Mitterrand famous and that François Hollande has just shown.
Nice Premium: A curiosity from your years at the Élysée?
Jean-Louis Bianco: When I was a project manager, I shared an office in an annex of the Élysée with two young interns: Ségolène Royal and François Hollande.
Nice Premium: You are the President of the National Observatory of Secularism. A term often widely used and not always appropriately. Do you have a definition that reflects its true value?
Jean-Louis Bianco: Secularism, often misused, should be understood as a value of emancipation. It is never directed against individuals or religions but guarantees equal treatment and equal dignity for all citizens. It is because it is one of the essential conditions for mutual respect and fraternity that it must constantly be respected and celebrated.
