French ex-PM Michel Rocard dies at 85

Kayode Ogundele
Kayode Ogundele
Former socialist Prime Minister Michel Rocard

Former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard has died aged 85, French media report.

Rocard, a socialist, served as prime minister from 1988 to 1991 under President Francois Mitterrand.

He was regarded as a staunch advocate of the European Union who fought for a left-wing agenda that also embraced a market economy.

The office of President Francois Hollande said France had lost “a great figure of the Republic and the left”.

Rocard died in a Paris hospital on Saturday, his son Francis told AFP news agency.

Michel Rocard caused controversy in 1998 when he labelled Mr Mitterrand, who had died three years earlier, dishonest.

In a magazine article, Rocard spoke of a government “clique” under Mitterrand, saying he took the office of prime minister to protect France.

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