• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

1995-2002 - Plural Left

The congress of Liévin in November 1994 was dominated by the prospect for a candidacy of Jacques Delors, still president of the European commission. In December, the withdrawal of Jacques Delors opened a period of doubt. For the first time in the Party's history, two candidates confronted each other: Henri Emmanuelli and Lionel Jospin. The selection was made between the two by a direct and secret vote of Party militants. The vote largely favored Lionel Jospin. He was invested at the time of the convention with the designation on February 5, 1995, which marked the launching of the presidential campaign. Finding the right tone, combining a reforming will and realism, a claiming a "right of inventory" on the socialist assessment, Lionel Jospin succeeded in being in the lead of candidates in the first round of voting, with more than 23% of the votes, and gathering 47.3% of the votes in the second round. This success and, in parallel, the departure of François Mitterrand (died a few months later, on January 8, 1996) of the presidency of the Republic, inaugurates a new period for the history of the Socialist party.

After the presidential campaign, Henri Emmanuelli proposed in June 1995 to give Lionel Jospin the responsibility lead the Socialists. After a time of reflexion, Jospin accepted on the double condition of carrying out the unanimity of the components of the party and of being able to conclude a thorough restoration of ideas and structures. A commission of restoration set up itself and worked all summer. It proposed a reform program, which like the election of Lionel Jospin as First secretary, was subjected to the direct and secret vote militants at the national Convention of October 14, 1995.

After the dissolution of the National Assembly decided by Jacques Chirac on April 21, 1997, the Socialist party was ready to face the election. After a first favorable turn on May 25, the left obtained to on June 1, 1997 a majority in the National Assembly with the elected officials of the Socialist party, the Communist party, the Radical left, the Greens and the Movement of the Citizens.

Lionel Jospin formed his government, where all the parliamentary components of the left were represented. A new period of cohabitation started. François Holland succeeded Lionel Jospin like First deputy secretary of the Party. The government of the plural left successfully implemented the program on which it was elected: employment-youths, 35 hour work week, and increases in the purchasing power. The Party faced four major polls victoriously: regional elections, cantonal, senatorial and European. The referendum over the Five-year period of September 24, 2000 enables it to reach one of its objectives, from the point of view of a democratization of Party institutions.

The Party also opened with the international action. On May 27, 1999, the first meeting of the European Socialists took place in Paris, in support of the "Build our Europe" list led by François Holland. In November 1999, Paris hosted the congress of the Socialist International and that of the International Socialist of Women. Lionel Jospin headed an important French delegation which defended a "modern socialism" at the "top of the modernisateurs", at Florence, then in Berlin.

The Congress of Grenoble in November 2000 made it possible to measure the way travelled and to define the objectives of the new stage. The fight for full employment and against precarious work remained the number one objective of the Socialists. Growth poses the problem of a just distribution of richnesses. Three motions were submitted to the vote of the militants. The first presented by François Holland and the large majority of the National secretariat collected 72,94% of the votes. The third presented by Henri Emmanuelli and Alain Vidalies (Poperen ex-current) obtained 13,78%; the second presented by the "Socialist Left" obtained 13,28%. François Holland is re-elected by the militants like First secretary of the Party.

United and in battle order, the Party was ready to face the great electoral deadlines of 2001 and 2002. The final nine commitments were undertaken: employment and new technologies, housing, environment and transport, culture and heritage, solidarity and health, safety, sport, education, citizenship. With the municipal elections of March 2001, a total of 58 cities of more than 20,000 inhabitants changed direction, with an indisputable advantage to the right: 39 cities passed from left to right and 19 from right to left. This situation was compensated by three successes of size: the cities of Paris, Lyon and Dijon. For the cantonal elections, at same time, the Party gained 6 presidencies of General advice. A progression of 20% in 37 departments directed by the left, 3 passed by on the right. As in June, the Party entered the active preparation of the "Project of the Socialists", entrusted to Martine Aubry. This cycle of reflexions and debates had the engagement of the Socialists until the end of 2001.