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2002-2007 - Under Chirac's Second Term

The tragedy of September 11, 2001 which came to strike the United States, in the middle of their territory, does not escape France and a wave of fear of terrorism shakes planet. The International Socialist, joined together on October 6, 2001, devotes the major part of his work to peace, safety in the world and the fight against international terrorism.

Designated as candidate in February 2002, Lionel Jospin was beaten in the first round, in spite of fidelity with the word given and an positive assessment. With 16.18%, he placed behind Jean-Marie Le Pen, who obtained 16.86%, while Jacques Chirac obtained only 19,88%. This was a terrible shock for the Socialists. For the first time, it was necessary for us to choose to vote for the right-wing candidate in order to the reduce the score of the extreme right-hand side.

With legislative the 9 and June 16, 2002 on the topic "Let us choose progress, ahead the left", the socialist candidates obtain all the same 25% of the votes cast and 149 deputies, but the rate of abstention is of 39,71%. Consequently, the Party begins in a critical deliberation on its action and is organized to be the axis of a rebuilding of the left, able to reconquer the confidence of a majority of French, in particular the most stripped, by giving again the hope.

Following this seism of April 21, 2002, 25.000 new members, including 40% less than 40 years, come to reinforce the rows of the Party. A great "militant debate" begins in the sections and the federations whose "militant words" are collected, on Sunday December 15, 2002, in Montreuil, for the preparation of the Congress of 16,17, and May 18, 2003 old Dijon. The nature and the ambition of the Party were defined by reformism of the left. At stake at the congress of Dijon? For the Socialists, it was a question of trying to turn the page of April 21, when Lionel Jospin was withdrawn from political life.

Five motions were presented to the militants, for their diagnoses on the period passed, and their proposals for the future. That of François Holland carried with 61,37% of the votes. In the absence of synthesis, the New Socialist party of Arnaud Montebourg and Vincent Peillon (16.88%), militant Forces of Marc Dolez (4.38%), New World of Henri Emmanuelli (16,33%) and Utopia de Frank Pupunat (1,05%) did not take part in the new direction, of which François Holland was the First secretary.

During this difficult period for the left, the PS endeavored to play its part fully of the leading force of opposition to the policy of the Chirac-Raffarin government and MEDEF. Set out again, for the conquest of the popular electorate which was lacking in 2002, it supported the fight of the "paid ones": teachers, civils servant, researchers, paid private victims of collective redundancies, contract workers, students. The Socialists defended secularity, by requiring the prohibition of ostentatious religious signs at the school.

To the Parliament and in the street, the PS opposed proposals of social regression. This head-on opposition bore fruit. The elections of year 2004 were historical for the party: With regional, the PS carries 20 areas out of 22. With cantonal, it conquers, for the first time, the majority of the presidencies of General advices (56 compared with 49 with the right-hand side). With European, the Socialists collect 28.89% of the votes and 31 seats in the European Parliament. But the rate of abstention was 57.21%. With the senate, 7 new senators wtih socialist support were elected. With the autumn 2004 and throughout the year 2005, with the referendum announced by Jacques Chirac, the question of the ratification of the European Constitutional treaty deeply divided the Socialists between partisans of "yes" and in favor of "not" At the end of 2005, the socialist militants decided for "yes" by 58.62% against 41.38%. At the end of an electoral campaign that the Socialists faced in division, the result of the referendum of May 29, 2005 gave a clear victory to "not": 54.67% against 45.33%.

The Congress was held in November 2005 in Mans, in the political context of riots which set ablaze many disinherited cities of France. Five motions were presented to the militants. The motion led by François Holland carried with 53.5% of the votes. After long debates, which were prolonged late into the night, the congress was completed on a general synthesis, which however Arnaud Montebourg refused. All the currents of the PS were found in the direction to prepare the presidential vote of 2007. François Holland is re-elected First secretary with 77.13% of the votes cast.

After hard and very mediatized primary elections, Ségolène Royal obtained the nomination over Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Laurent Fabius for the presidential race. It started countrywide with a phase of listening and debate participation. In February 2007, it made the synthesis: the "presidential Pact" will be the political base of the countryside. Qualified for the second round with 25% of the votes, a televised debate was organized with Francois Bayrou to discuss the points of agreement with the centrist leader.