Former French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin has died at the age of 88, his family announced on Monday. The news was reported by AFP from Paris, stating that Jospin passed away on Sunday. He served as France’s prime minister from 1997 to 2002 and was a prominent leader of the Socialist Party.

According to his family, Jospin underwent a serious surgical operation in January, though no further details were provided about his health condition or the cause of death. His tenure as prime minister was marked by his leadership within France’s socialist movement and his role in national politics during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Further information about funeral arrangements or official tributes has not yet been released.