Served as Prime Minister of France, during the third "cohabitation", under Jacques Chirac, from 1997 to 2002

Jospin began his Political career soon after receiving his degree from the Ecole Nationale d´Administration. From 1965 to 1970, he served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Ministry’s Directorate of Economic Affairs. From 1973 to 1981, he served the French Socialist Party, and held the positions of National Secretary with Responsibility for Training, National Secretary with Responsibility for Third World Affairs and National Secretary with Responsibility for International Relations and Coordination.

Between 1977 and 1983, Jospin served as the Paris Councilor and National Assembly Deputy for the 18° arrondissement. In 1981, he became First Secretary of the Socialist Party and served until 1988. He served again as First Secretary from 1995 to 1997. Jospin was a Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1988. He has also served many years with the Haute-Garonne, from 1986 to 1993 as National Assembly Deputy, from 1998 to 2002 as a Member of the General Council, and since 1997 as a National Assembly Deputy.

From 1988 to 1992, he was Minister of State and Minister of National Education, Youth and Sport. From 1992 to 1998 he served as Regional Councilor for Midy-Pyrénées and was appointed Minister plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993, where he served until 2002.

Jospin was elected Prime Minister of France in 1997 and served until 2002. Under his tenure, the country saw a sustained period of growth and a large decrease in unemployment, thanks in part to his introduction of a 35-hour working week and measures to boost youth employment. He also championed other popular social causes such as the Civil Solidarity Pact, legalized union for gay couples and a law on parity to promote the equal representation of women in politics.

In 2002 he was stunningly eliminated in the first round after finishing behind both Chirac and the far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen, and immediately announced his retirement from politics.

He is a member of the Club de Madrid.

Jospin is the author of L’Invention du Possible (1991), Propositions pour la France (1995) and Le Temps de répondre (2002).

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