ONE FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR 149pleased him to some extent by saying about the Strategic Defense
Initiative: ‘To my mind, this outer space question is very simple: I do
no denouncing but I am hostile to it, and France will not associate with
it.’^64 But Gorbachëv could no longer have any illusions about the pros-
pect of splitting the Western powers. Mitterrand was a critical friend of
the Americans but a friend none the less. If Gorbachëv wished to pull
Reagan into a round of serious negotiations with the USSR, he could
not base his tactics on lining up the Western European leaders on his
side.
Where he could boast of unconditional success was in his impact
on French public opinion. His flair for handling crowds and TV
appearances had proven to be exceptional, and he began to think that
this could be his most effective way of bringing the West to the nego-
tiating table. Gorbachëv was willing to give everything a try.