nationalism is war! War is not only our past, it may be our future; and you members of parliament are henceforth the guardians of our peace, of our security, and of this future." - Meaning and context.">
Lecture held at European Parliament (17 January 1995)
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One must defeat their prejudices. What I demand you here is almost impossible, for we have to defeat our history. And yet, if we do not defeat it, one must know a rule will impose itself, ladies and gentlemen: nationalism is war! War is not only our past, it may be our future; and you members of parliament are henceforth the guardians of our peace, of our security, and of this future.

— François Mitterrand

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "One must defeat their prejudices. What I demand you here is almost impossible, for we have to defeat our history. And yet, if we do not defeat it, one must know a rule will impose itself, ladies and gentlemen: nationalism is war! War is not only our past, it may be our future; and you members of parliament are henceforth the guardians of our peace, of our security, and of this future." in the context of "Lecture held at European Parliament (17 January 1995)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "François Mitterrand" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
François Mitterrand

About François Mitterrand

François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (October 26, 1916 – January 8, 1996) was a French politician. He was elected President of France in May 1981, re-elected in 1988 and held office until 1995.