Jonah Birch is Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology at Appalachian State University. He has written extensively on the history of Europe's social-democratic left, as well as the transformation of social and economic policies since the 1970's.

Social Democracy

February 20, 2021

Analysis

François Mitterrand’s Austerity Turn

The rise and fall of the French Road to socialism.

The history of French socialism is filled with famous and heroic dates: 1789; 1848; 1871 1936; 1968. But less well remembered is another date of great significance: 1981. It was in May of that year that the French left achieved…