Chirac first presidential term: Juppé plan, 1997 dissolution, Jospin cohabitation

Doctrine — stated goals and content

Chirac won 1995 on a 'fracture sociale' platform suggesting reflation but pivoted to austerity under Juppé to meet Maastricht criteria. The 1997 snap dissolution backfired spectacularly, producing five years of gauche plurielle cohabitation under Jospin. Economic school: RPR-gaullist mixed with ordoliberal EMU-convergence constraints 1995-97; social- democratic with supply-side-light 35-hour emphasis under Jospin 1997- 2002. Left-right axis: centre-right 1995-97, centre-left 1997-2002. Key content: (i) Juppé Plan 15 November 1995 — Sécu reform, contribution on retirees, special-regime pension alignment — triggered November- December 1995 grèves paralysing France, partially withdrawn; (ii) CRDS creation January 1996 to amortise social-security debt (CADES); (iii) Chirac dissolution 21 April 1997 — lost 25 May / 1 June 1997 to PS-led gauche plurielle; (iv) 35-hour working week Aubry laws 13 June 1998 (loi Aubry I) and 19 January 2000 (Aubry II); (v) Privatisations paradoxically continued under Jospin — France Télécom partial 1997-98, Air France, Aérospatiale into EADS 2000; (vi) CMU (Couverture Maladie Universelle) 27 July 1999 — universal healthcare access; (vii) Euro physical changeover 1 January 2002; (viii) PACS 15 November 1999 civil partnership; (ix) Fiscal consolidation hitting Maastricht 3% deficit criterion 1997 (paper stock transfer from France Télécom aided); (x) CSG rebalancing Jospin increased CSG on capital income; (xi) Stock-options reform 2000; (xii) Rupture conventionnelle was LATER — not this term. Popularity: 1995 Chirac elected 52.64% second round vs Jospin 47.36%; 1997 legislative PS 23.5% + coalition 319/577 seats; Jospin approval peaked ~65% 1998-99; 21 April 2002 first round Jospin eliminated (Le Pen 16.86% vs Jospin 16.18%), Chirac re-elected 82.2% against Le Pen. Coherence: the term contains two distinct coherent blocs (Juppé austerity; gauche plurielle 35-hour-plus-privatisations) that together delivered fiscal consolidation + euro entry, at political cost that produced the 2002 far-right breakthrough.