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| Claude Cheysson obituary | |
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| When François Mitterrand was elected president of the French Republic in May 1981, he had an immediate problem. Where was he to find his ministers? The Socialist party had been out of power for some 25 years and many new ministers would have to learn on the job. But Mitterrand was reluctant to accept this for foreign affairs, since he was determined that his election would establish a new era in France's relations with the rest of the world. In the event, he chose Claude Cheysson, who has died aged 92. | When François Mitterrand was elected president of the French Republic in May 1981, he had an immediate problem. Where was he to find his ministers? The Socialist party had been out of power for some 25 years and many new ministers would have to learn on the job. But Mitterrand was reluctant to accept this for foreign affairs, since he was determined that his election would establish a new era in France's relations with the rest of the world. In the event, he chose Claude Cheysson, who has died aged 92. |
| Cheysson was then serving in Brussels as the European commissioner responsible for negotiating trade and aid agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. He was not a member of the Socialist party or a close friend of Mitterrand. He was an experienced administrator, and Mitterrand's predecessor as president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, had seriously considered appointing him to one of his governments. | Cheysson was then serving in Brussels as the European commissioner responsible for negotiating trade and aid agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. He was not a member of the Socialist party or a close friend of Mitterrand. He was an experienced administrator, and Mitterrand's predecessor as president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, had seriously considered appointing him to one of his governments. |
| He made an immediate effect by choosing to call himself minister for external affairs. This seemed to be a throwback to Talleyrand, and no one could believe that Cheysson saw himself as the successor to that wily diplomat. The choice of title seemed to put the emphasis on external actions and to underline the close links between new domestic policy choices and their external implementation. While it was always said that the introduction of the title was Cheysson's choice, it must have had the approval of Mitterrand. It added to the alarm felt in some countries, since France had elected a socialist president who had appointed four communists to his government. | He made an immediate effect by choosing to call himself minister for external affairs. This seemed to be a throwback to Talleyrand, and no one could believe that Cheysson saw himself as the successor to that wily diplomat. The choice of title seemed to put the emphasis on external actions and to underline the close links between new domestic policy choices and their external implementation. While it was always said that the introduction of the title was Cheysson's choice, it must have had the approval of Mitterrand. It added to the alarm felt in some countries, since France had elected a socialist president who had appointed four communists to his government. |
| Cheysson saw one of his first tasks as being to reassure other governments and help the new president to avoid disagreements and confrontations. He was a hard worker. The archives contain an endless stream of memoranda that he produced for the president and his advisers, and he was frequently asked to prepare drafts for presidential speeches. In January 1983, he and Mitterrand were travelling by train through Gabon in West Africa, when suddenly Mitterrand asked him to prepare the speech that he was due to give shortly at the Reichstag. Cheysson started to write immediately. | Cheysson saw one of his first tasks as being to reassure other governments and help the new president to avoid disagreements and confrontations. He was a hard worker. The archives contain an endless stream of memoranda that he produced for the president and his advisers, and he was frequently asked to prepare drafts for presidential speeches. In January 1983, he and Mitterrand were travelling by train through Gabon in West Africa, when suddenly Mitterrand asked him to prepare the speech that he was due to give shortly at the Reichstag. Cheysson started to write immediately. |
| He was an indefatigable traveller. Sometimes he would leave Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's tent in the Libyan desert to report to the president at his private Paris residence in the rue de Bièvre, or would quit a Mitterrand family gathering at the president's holiday home in Latche to visit Beirut when it was under Israeli bombing. And he negotiated. Sometimes Mitterrand would express irritation at the negotiations that were always going on somewhere, but he knew that France's interests were being served. | He was an indefatigable traveller. Sometimes he would leave Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's tent in the Libyan desert to report to the president at his private Paris residence in the rue de Bièvre, or would quit a Mitterrand family gathering at the president's holiday home in Latche to visit Beirut when it was under Israeli bombing. And he negotiated. Sometimes Mitterrand would express irritation at the negotiations that were always going on somewhere, but he knew that France's interests were being served. |
| Cheysson was born in Paris to a wealthy family. His father, Pierre, was an inspector of finances and his mother, Sophie, belonged to the well-known Funck-Brentano family. He was educated at the Collège Stanislas in Paris and distinguished himself by winning admission to both the Ecole Normale Supérieure and the Ecole Polytechnique. He served in the French army during the second world war, was captured, escaped and joined the American army. He was one of the first students to attend the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, from where he was sent to Bonn as a liaison officer in 1949. He served as a political adviser in Vietnam from 1952. Then, having risen quickly in the ranks of the civil service, he was deputy head, then head of the office of Pierre Mendès France, when he was both prime minister and minister for foreign affairs. | Cheysson was born in Paris to a wealthy family. His father, Pierre, was an inspector of finances and his mother, Sophie, belonged to the well-known Funck-Brentano family. He was educated at the Collège Stanislas in Paris and distinguished himself by winning admission to both the Ecole Normale Supérieure and the Ecole Polytechnique. He served in the French army during the second world war, was captured, escaped and joined the American army. He was one of the first students to attend the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, from where he was sent to Bonn as a liaison officer in 1949. He served as a political adviser in Vietnam from 1952. Then, having risen quickly in the ranks of the civil service, he was deputy head, then head of the office of Pierre Mendès France, when he was both prime minister and minister for foreign affairs. |
| Cheysson occupied a similar position in the office of Alain Savary in 1956 when he was minister responsible for Morocco and Tunisia in Guy Mollet's government. Subsequently, he held many posts in Africa, working with General Charles de Gaulle's African specialist Jacques Foccart. From 1966 to 1969 he was ambassador to Indonesia before taking up his responsibilites for developing countries with the European Commission. | Cheysson occupied a similar position in the office of Alain Savary in 1956 when he was minister responsible for Morocco and Tunisia in Guy Mollet's government. Subsequently, he held many posts in Africa, working with General Charles de Gaulle's African specialist Jacques Foccart. From 1966 to 1969 he was ambassador to Indonesia before taking up his responsibilites for developing countries with the European Commission. |
| It was therefore an experienced and well-tried statesman who served Mitterrand. Cheysson did not agree with the president on two important areas of policy. One concerned the Middle East, where Mitterrand was very pro-Israel. Cheysson used a series of events, beginning with the Israeli bombing of the Iraqi nuclear plant at Tammuz on 7 June 1981, to modify his attitude. In August that year, Cheysson met the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and began a long period of negotiations. | It was therefore an experienced and well-tried statesman who served Mitterrand. Cheysson did not agree with the president on two important areas of policy. One concerned the Middle East, where Mitterrand was very pro-Israel. Cheysson used a series of events, beginning with the Israeli bombing of the Iraqi nuclear plant at Tammuz on 7 June 1981, to modify his attitude. In August that year, Cheysson met the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and began a long period of negotiations. |
| The other area concerned relations with the US. Mitterrand confessed to being somewhat Gaullist. While the general had refused to accept US control in military matters, Mitterrand refused to accept American interference in French economic activities in eastern Europe. But Cheysson believed that persistent diplomacy would achieve what France wanted. He was surprised and displeased when Mitterrand showed his impatience with the Americans and was shocked when, one evening in Washington, the French president, anxious to end President Ronald Reagan's complaints, broke with protocol and suggested that they should go to dinner. | The other area concerned relations with the US. Mitterrand confessed to being somewhat Gaullist. While the general had refused to accept US control in military matters, Mitterrand refused to accept American interference in French economic activities in eastern Europe. But Cheysson believed that persistent diplomacy would achieve what France wanted. He was surprised and displeased when Mitterrand showed his impatience with the Americans and was shocked when, one evening in Washington, the French president, anxious to end President Ronald Reagan's complaints, broke with protocol and suggested that they should go to dinner. |
| Mitterrand often spoke of how Cheysson embarrassed him with gaffes. When there was widespread mourning after the assassination of the Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat in 1981, it was untimely, to say the least, to choose that moment to remark that his death would remove an obstacle to the coming together of the Arab peoples. | Mitterrand often spoke of how Cheysson embarrassed him with gaffes. When there was widespread mourning after the assassination of the Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat in 1981, it was untimely, to say the least, to choose that moment to remark that his death would remove an obstacle to the coming together of the Arab peoples. |
| But Cheysson was never embarrassed by these criticisms. "I have heard the president say it some 20 times, I'm the least diplomatic of all the diplomatic corps." In fact, he was extremely self-confident. He believed that his first impressions were correct and this being so, as foreign diplomats in Paris used to say, he would begin by "shooting from the hip". | But Cheysson was never embarrassed by these criticisms. "I have heard the president say it some 20 times, I'm the least diplomatic of all the diplomatic corps." In fact, he was extremely self-confident. He believed that his first impressions were correct and this being so, as foreign diplomats in Paris used to say, he would begin by "shooting from the hip". |
| This was evident at the time of the Falklands war. Cheysson did not attempt to conceal his surprise that France was supporting what he saw as British colonialism, or his irritation that Mitterrand should have telephoned Margaret Thatcher to tell her so. He informed British representatives of official French policy, as he had to, but was far from cordial. | This was evident at the time of the Falklands war. Cheysson did not attempt to conceal his surprise that France was supporting what he saw as British colonialism, or his irritation that Mitterrand should have telephoned Margaret Thatcher to tell her so. He informed British representatives of official French policy, as he had to, but was far from cordial. |
| In November 1983, Mitterrand appointed his close friend, Roland Dumas, as minister for European affairs. From then it seemed more than likely that Dumas would soon replace Cheysson, and observers noted that he was eyeing "Talleyrand's chair" with all the appearance of envy. But it was not until the end of 1984 that Mitterrand suggested to Thatcher that, when Gaston Thorn's presidency of the European Commission drew to a close, he could be succeeded by Cheysson. This proposal was not accepted by the British (or the Germans) but they readily accepted Mitterrand's second suggestion that the French finance minister, Jacques Delors, should become president and that Cheysson should take up a commissioner's post in Brussels. | In November 1983, Mitterrand appointed his close friend, Roland Dumas, as minister for European affairs. From then it seemed more than likely that Dumas would soon replace Cheysson, and observers noted that he was eyeing "Talleyrand's chair" with all the appearance of envy. But it was not until the end of 1984 that Mitterrand suggested to Thatcher that, when Gaston Thorn's presidency of the European Commission drew to a close, he could be succeeded by Cheysson. This proposal was not accepted by the British (or the Germans) but they readily accepted Mitterrand's second suggestion that the French finance minister, Jacques Delors, should become president and that Cheysson should take up a commissioner's post in Brussels. |
| Thus Dumas became minister for foreign affairs (reverting to the normal title) and Cheysson became the European commissioner responsible for policy in the southern Mediterranean. From 1989 to 1994 he was an active member of the European parliament. | Thus Dumas became minister for foreign affairs (reverting to the normal title) and Cheysson became the European commissioner responsible for policy in the southern Mediterranean. From 1989 to 1994 he was an active member of the European parliament. |
| He is survived by his third wife, Daniele, whom he married in 1969, and by their son and two daughters; and by two sons and a daughter from his two previous marriages. | He is survived by his third wife, Daniele, whom he married in 1969, and by their son and two daughters; and by two sons and a daughter from his two previous marriages. |
| • Claude Cheysson, politician, born 13 April 1920; died 15 October 2012 | • Claude Cheysson, politician, born 13 April 1920; died 15 October 2012 |
| • Douglas Johnson died in 2005 | • Douglas Johnson died in 2005 |