Why was Francois Mitterand (late president of France) call the SPHINX?

Question

Why was Francois Mitterand (late president of France) call the SPHINX?

Answer 1

Rillifane is quite right, it's a matter of the way he was sometimes  inscrutable. He was a good orator who like to mystify people using elegant phrases sometimes elliptical.

But, I would add that he was also fascinated by Egyptian civilizations,  he was one of the investigator to build a glass pyramid in le Louvre Museum (but it's wrong to think he asked for 666 glass panes). Do not believe everythg there are in Da Vinci Code.

He made a trip in Egypt with his youngest daughter 2 months before he died.

And the last year he was president, when he had to send his traditionnal vowes to French people, he said something like :

"I believe in strength of minds / spirit forces . I will not leave you"

Also this nickname is not really famous, in France he's more known to be called Tonton (=Uncle)

;;;

Answer 2

Because he was considered inscrutable and difficult to comprehend.

As an opponent of DeGaulle he attacked the Gaullist Constitution as a "coup against democracy" yet made full use of its powers when he finally managed to win power.

As a self identified socialist he had attacked Gaullist policies yet did little to fundamentally change them when he took office.

He was supposedly a man of the Left yet acknowledged  working with the pro-n**i Vichy French regime during the war.