What was France like in 1981?

Francois Mitterand in 1981 and Francois Hollande in 2012

Francois Hollande is the first Socialist president of France since another Francois, Mitterrand, swept to power in 1981, where he remained for 14 years. They are the only presidents from the left in the short history of the Fifth Republic. So what was France like 31 years ago?

<italic>Reporting by Tom Geoghegan</italic>