Lionel Jospin, France's former Socialist prime minister, died on Sunday at the age of 88, his family announced to AFP on Monday. Broadcaster BFM first reported the news early Monday morning.

Jospin passed away on March 22, 2026, following a period of health challenges. In January, the 88-year-old had undergone a serious operation and was recovering at home, according to statements at the time. No cause of death was immediately disclosed.

Born on July 12, 1937, in Meudon near Paris, Jospin rose through the ranks of the Socialist Party (PS). He served as the party's first secretary from 1981 to 1988 and again from 1995 to 1997. Under President François Mitterrand, he held ministerial posts including education from 1988 to 1992 and youth and sports from 1988 to 1991.

In 1997, Jospin became prime minister after the Socialists won legislative elections, ushering in a period of cohabitation with center-right President Jacques Chirac. His government implemented landmark reforms, including the 35-hour workweek to boost employment, universal health coverage through the Couverture maladie universelle (CMU), and the Pacte civil de solidarité (PACS), which established civil unions for same-sex couples. Legislation against social exclusion aimed to combat poverty, while policies promoted gender parity in politics and increased spending on education and labor.

The administration also reduced unemployment by 900,000 jobs through a mix of privatizations of state-owned enterprises, tax cuts on VAT, income, and corporate rates, and other economic measures. These efforts marked a pragmatic turn for French socialism, blending social protections with market-oriented reforms.

Jospin's tenure ended after the 2002 presidential election delivered a shock. Despite leading polls, he finished third in the first round with 16.18 percent of the vote, behind Chirac and far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. Eliminated from the runoff, Jospin announced his retirement from frontline politics. Revelations about his youthful ties to a Trotskyist group earlier that year had fueled criticism from the right and far left.

Later, Jospin joined the Constitutional Council from 2015 to 2019. He largely stayed out of the public eye in recent years.

Reactions poured in on Monday. Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon hailed Jospin as a "model of rigor and work," praising his advocacy for a "red-pink-green alliance." Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc, from the center-right, described him as possessing "unquestionable sincerity." Other politicians across the spectrum acknowledged his role in shaping modern France.

Jospin's death comes amid ongoing municipal elections in France, where his legacy in socialist governance remains a reference point for the left.