Jospin, Lionel

Jospin, Lionel (b. 12 July 1937). Prime Minister of France, 1997–2002 Born in Meudon, he graduated from the elite universities Institut d'Études Politiques and the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA). He joined the Socialist Party in 1971, just after taking up a professorship in economics at Paris University IX. Jospin became the party's expert on foreign policy, and in 1981, when Mitterrand became President, he became party leader. From 1988 to 1992 he was minister of education, but in 1993 he lost his seat in the National Assembly and returned to university teaching. One year later he returned to the political limelight as party leader, when after Mitterrand's presidency the Socialist Party was deeply unpopular. The strait-laced, relatively uncharismatic politician proved a welcome antidote to the flamboyant Mitterrand, and surprised political pundits by coming a close second in the presidential elections of 1995. He led his party to a triumphant election victory in 1997, and subsequently presided over a period of high economic growth and low inflation. His government also introduced a number of social welfare reforms and relaxed the country's relatively stringent immigration policies. In a sweeping tax reform in 2001, he provided marked relief especially for lower incomes and an overall reduction in the tax burden. From 2000, however, his government's performance was less assured, which manifested itself in a series of ministerial resignations owing to a number of scandals. Ironically, his distant rectitude became an electoral liability against the populist Chirac, who managed to define the election campaign on issues like law and order. Jospin's centrism failed to unite the left behind him, so that in a political earthquake he missed the second round of the presidential elections, coming third behind Chirac and Le Pen.