Former French Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin has died at the age of 88.

In addition to his achievements as head of government from the late 1990s, he will be remembered as a two-time presidential candidate who in 2002 suffered a stunning first-round humiliation from the far-right's Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Before that, Jospin had served five years as prime minister under conservative president Jacques Chirac.

Chirac defeated him in the 1995 presidential race but then lost a snap parliamentary vote in 1997, forcing him into so-called cohabitation with the left.

In power, Jospin formed an alliance with Communists and Greens, enacting significant reforms such as the 35-hour working week, still in effect despite criticism from businesses.

Resisting pressure from the right and the church, he also introduced the PACS civil ceremony for homosexual couples, a precursor to gay marriage. However, he angered many on the left by continuing privatisation policies from the previous government, stating, People cannot expect everything from the state and the government.

In the 2002 presidential race, multiple left-wing candidates diluted Jospin's support, leading to just over 16% of the vote, trailing behind Le Pen, who shocked the nation by qualifying for round two before being defeated by Chirac.

Humbled, Jospin immediately announced that he was leaving politics.

Born in Meudon in 1937, Jospin was raised in a political environment and attended elite schooling. In the 1960s, he was involved in a Trotskyist group before joining the Socialist Party, where he climbed the ranks under François Mitterrand.

Married to philosopher Sylviane Agacinski, who survives him, Jospin is remembered for his honest and sometimes technocratic approach. His poll ratings were consistently high during his time in office compared to other leaders.

Tributes have flooded in following his passing, with President Emmanuel Macron noting, With his rigour, his courage and his idealism, he embodied a lofty idea of the Republic, while former President François Hollande remarked, The left mourns one of its most eminent figures, and France knows that one of its greatest leaders has just died.