Former French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin has died at the age of 88, his family told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday. He passed away on Sunday, months after a “serious operation” he had mentioned in January.
Jospin, a Socialist, led France from 1997 to 2002. He introduced the 35-hour work week and civil unions giving equal rights to unmarried couples, including same-sex couples. He once said of his approach: “Yes to the market economy, no to a market society.”
Born in 1937 in a Paris suburb, Jospin studied at the Institute of Political Studies and the École Nationale d’Administration. He joined the Socialist Party in 1971 and became a trusted ally of President François Mitterrand, mentoring future leaders like François Hollande.
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He ran for president in 1995 and 2002. In 2002, far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen unexpectedly reached the runoff, ending Jospin’s presidential hopes. Reflecting years later, he said: “I overestimated the extent to which Jacques Chirac was rejected, and I underestimated the first round.”
Known for integrity and discipline, Jospin avoided scandals. In 2012, he headed a commission on political ethics under President François Hollande.
He is survived by his wife, philosopher Sylviane Agacinski, and his two children, Hugo and Eva.