"Jospin had been knocked into third place by the far-right National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen and thus was out of the race. Outside the Socialist party's headquarters in central Paris shocked supporters gathered in tears to hear Jospin declare it was a bolt from the blue and announce he would leave politics."
"I take full responsibility for this defeat and I am drawing the necessary conclusions by stepping down from political life, he told the crowd. The man who, as prime minister between 1997 and 2002, had introduced the 35-hour working week, universal health cover and the civil partnership for couples, disappeared into political exile."
Lionel Jospin, the Socialist party leader and prime minister, was a favorite in the 2002 French presidential election. However, he placed third in the first round, behind Jean-Marie Le Pen, shocking supporters. Jospin announced his political retirement, taking full responsibility for the defeat. He had previously introduced significant reforms, including the 35-hour workweek and universal health coverage. Jospin's background included a Protestant upbringing and a complex relationship with his father, a former member of the Workers' International who faced expulsion due to political affiliations during World War II.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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