Guy Mollet , officially born the December 31st 1905 with Flers (Flowering ash), dead the October 3rd 1975 with Paris, was a Politician French, whose career culminated with its passage to the presidency of the Council under the Fourth Republic. He was general secretary of Socialist party (SFIO) of 1946 to 1969.

He was born in fact on January 2nd, 1906 but the clerk of registry office registers dated December 31st, 1905. " He will gain one year for the service and will be able to work tôt" more; , he with his father Pierre Mollet explains, who, gauze, will die shortly after the end of the war.

A rapid rise

War orphan, Guy Mollet adheres to the French Section of the International worker (SFIO) since 1923, whereas it is not yet eighteen years old. After having obtained its license, he becomes English professor and militates actively within the teaching trade unionism, which is worth to him to be transferred to Arras. In 1928, he becomes assistant secretary of socialist Youths of the Pas-de-Calais. Mobilized in 1940, it is made prisoner. Released in June 1941 it engages a few months later in the Résistance within the civil Organization and soldier (OCM), which gathers the resistant ones of all tendencies, left with the good conservatism tints, but where the Socialists are dominating in the Pas-de-Calais and the Flowering ash. He takes part in the combat of the Libération and is charged with the commission of purification of Flers.

Elected official mayor and general adviser of Arras in 1945, member of the two constituent Assemblies, then appointed Pas-de-Calais in 1946, it becomes the same year general secretary of SFIO, function which it will preserve until 1969. Consequently, chief of a great political training, whose support appears essential to any ministerial combination within the framework of the three-party government, it is Minister of state in the governments Blum (1946-1947) and Pleven (1950-1951) (for the European Businesses (see the Liste of the French Ministers for the European Businesses)) and vice-president of the Council in the cabinet Queuille (March-July 1951). Under its cane, the group SFIO is the only one which is never lacking with the government of Pierre Mendès France.

It yields the presidency of the general advice of the Pas-de-Calais since 1946, and does not represent itself with the cantonal elections of 1949, to devote itself to its national action and the town hall of Arras.

Member of the Committee of action for the United States of Europe of Jean Monnet and savagely Atlantic, it decides in favor of the accession of France to the European Community of defense (CED), project which is definitively abandoned in 1954, but which contributes to divide the SFIO deeply. From 1954 to 1956, it chairs the parliamentary Assemblée of the Council of Europe (then called Consultative Assembly). According to the BBC, which is based on British files, Guy Mollet, convinced anglophile, moved by the risks of tensions to the Suez Canal and the israëlo-Jordanian border, in September 1956 with British the Prime Minister would have proposed preserving Anthony Eden, which France amalgamates in the United Kingdom, with a statute close to that of Ireland. This idea rejected by the British, Mollet proposes whereas his country integrates the the Commonwealth, project which allured more Eden, but remained dead letter, which led France to integrate the European Economic community.

President of the council (1956-1957)

See also: Government Guy Mollet

In 1956, at the time of the countryside for the legislative elections, it animates, at the sides of Pierre Mendès France, François Mitterrand and Jacques Chaban-Delmas, the “Face republican”, coalition joined together on an economic and social modernization program and peace negotiated in Algérie, which obtains a small majority. Whereas the president Rene Coty proposes in Pierre Mendès France to form a government in 1956, this one refuses and Guy Mollet suggests to him. In connection with Algeria, it is leading republican Face with the most advanced ideas: the war is for him “idiotic and without exit ”; independence is dictated by the good sense.

Confronted, at the time of a visit with Algiers, with the violent hostility (jets of vegetables, cries, death threats explicit) of the population of European origin on February 6th, 1956 (called day of the tomatos ), then with impossibility of joining together a parliamentary majority on a liberal line in Algeria, it engages in a policy of oppression and refuses any solution negotiated before the conclusion of a cease-fire; it doubles in six months military manpower deployed on the spot. It must give up naming Georges Catroux minister residing in Algérie. He proposes in Pierre Mendès France, then with Gaston Defferre to exert this function, but those refuse. It thus indicates Robert Lacoste.

As of on April 6th, 1956, he asks the international committee of the Red Cross to send a mission in Algérie to inquire into the living conditions of the militants of the Front of national release held by the French authorities. In October 1956, it meets Hubert Beuve-Méry and asks for details to him on the charges of torture practiced by certain soldiers. The director of the World having given to him a file of a score of sheets, Guy Mollet writes in Robert Lacoste, which answers him that sanctions were taken each time exactions could be proven, and that the charges relayed by Beuve-Méry are almost all untrue. New reports/ratios being given him (one of the Red Cross, the other of Jean Mairey, director of the National security), and certain newspapers multiplying the charges, the Mollet government creates a “standing committee of safeguard of the rights and personal freedoms”, directed by Pierre Béteille, adviser with the Court of appeal, in April 1957. No member of Parliament is member, the deputies and senators being shown of partiality, and the commission is entirely free of its organization. The practice of torture does not cease, but several disciplinary actions are taken, several legal procedures are started against the of torture ones supposed, and several hundreds of interned people are released. Lastly, Guy Mollet authorizes the International commission against the mode concentrationnaire with diligenter an investigation. This one concludes, in July 1957, that during April, torture seems to have decreased, and that the living conditions in the camps of lodging are overall satisfactory.

Between October and November 1956, Guy Mollet associates France with the Great Britain and Israel during consecutive forwarding to the nationalization of Suez Canal by Nasser.

The Guy Mollet cabinet makes adopt a third week of Paid vacations, the automobile Vignette to finance the assistance with the elderly without resources, of the assistance measures to housing. It grants their independence to the Tunisia and the Morocco. It makes vote the Defferre outline law, which grants autonomy to the Black Africa and announces independence. In March 1957, its ministers Christian Pineau and Maurice Faure sign the treaties instituting the European Economic community (the EEC).

After being put in minority by the National Assembly, the Mollet cabinet, which holds the record of longevity of IVe République, falls in May 1957.

The continuation of its career

Vice-president of the Council in the cabinet Pflimlin in May 1958, Guy Mollet adopts the general de Gaulle, because it is according to him the only means of avoiding “a civil war without republican army” (reference to the factious soldiers and the failures of the last governments of IVe République to contain their agitation). It is named minister of state in June of the same year, takes part in the drafting of the new Constitution, but leaves the government as of January 1959 and turns over quickly in the opposition. For him, the practice of the Constitution restricts too much the rights of the Parliament and public freedoms.

De Gaulle known as of him: “I have much regard for Guy Mollet. During the war, it fought at all risks for France and freedom. He was thus my companion” (May 21st, 1958).

In 1963, with the congress of Issy-les-Moulineaux, it opens the leading authorities with relatively young militants. Pierre Mauroy, then old thirty-five years, enters to the management committee, then becomes assistant general secretary in 1966.

In 1965, Guy Mollet takes part in the constitution of the Fédération of the democratic and socialist left (FGDS) which supports the candidature of François Mitterrand for the presidential election. Member of the Socialist party (PS) at the time of his foundation in 1969, it devotes himself consequently to theoretical work, within the framework of the university Office of socialist research (BEAR), which it created. He dies of an heart attack. Guy Mollet always refused to write her Memories to answer criticisms, often violent, whose it was the object, summarizing her position by a concise formula: “When one is in the first place, one assumes. ”

Summary of the functions

Governmental functions

  • Minister of state for the Government Leon Blum (3) (from December 16th, 1946 to January 22nd, 1947)
  • Minister of state charged with the the Council of Europe of the Government Rene Pleven (1) (from July 12th, 1950 to March 10th, 1951)
  • Vice-president of the Council in charge of the Council of Europe with the Government Henri Queuille (3) (from March 10th to August 11th, 1951)
  • President with the Council from February 1st, 1956 to June 13rd, 1957
  • Vice-president with the Council with the Government Pierre Pflimlin (from May 15th to June 1st, 1958)
  • Minister of state with the Government Charles de Gaulle (3) (of 1st at June 14th, 1958)
  • Minister of state, charged with the general status of the civils servant of the government Charles de Gaulle (3) (from June 14th, 1958 to January 8th, 1959)

Other mandates

Quotations

  • “the Communists are not on the left… They are in the East. ” Formula of Edouard Depreux popularized by Guy Mollet.
  • “France with the stupidest right-hand side of the world. ”

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