Overview
- He died on Sunday at age 88, according to a statement his family gave to AFP.
- He led the government from 1997 to 2002 in a power-sharing period with President Jacques Chirac.
- His cabinet introduced the 35-hour workweek, broadened universal health insurance, and created PACS civil unions for couples including same-sex partners.
- He left frontline politics after finishing third in the 2002 presidential first round, which allowed Jean‑Marie Le Pen to reach the runoff.
- Leaders across parties offered condolences, with messages from President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, and figures from both the left and the right.