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| Michel Rocard: Photo AFP |
Michel Rocard was Prime Minister under Francois Mitterand from 1988-1991 and has died at the age of 85.
A reformer whose vision of the left was to move it away from allegiances with the Communist Party and other hard left groups to a new "second socialism". This often brought him into conflict with Mitterand, who appointed him nonetheless because he said he "had no choice, given his popularity in the country".
His brand of "New Labour" socialism had a particularly French stamp and influenced many of the moderate left reformers since, including Manuel Valls who worked in his office.
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