French Socialists Pick Candidate
Former Socialist leader Lionel Jospin won an upset victory to become the party’s candidate to succeed French President Francois Mitterrand in spring elections.
Results from the primary race announced Saturday gave Jospin 66% of votes cast by party members, compared to 34% for Henri Emmanuelli, the first party secretary.
Jospin, a 57-year-old former education minister, had been favored in public opinion polls. But Emmanuelli, 49, was handpicked by party officials seeking a candidate strong enough to survive the first-round presidential vote April 23.
The Socialist Mitterrand, who is suffering from cancer, has governed since 1981. Jospin’s rivals will be two conservatives--Prime Minister Edouard Balladur and Paris Mayor Jacques Chirac.
Both Chirac and Balladur--who is widely favored to win--have scored well above various potential Socialist contenders in polls.
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