Michel Rocard

Born on August 23, 1930, Rocard was appointed as Prime Minister for Francois Mitterrand from 1988 until 1991. He shaped the RMI or the Revenue minimum d'inserton which is a social welfare program for the poor. He led the Mitigation Accords to determine the status of New Caledonia.
Rocard's father was a nuclear physicist but Rocard turned to politics and he studied at the Ecole nationale d'administatoin (ENA). He was an anti-colonialist and wrote a report concerning the condition of the refugee camps in the Algerian War of 1954 to 1962. This report was leaked to the press which almost cost Rocard his position in the political party as well as his job.
Rocard was a member of the French Socialist Party in 1949, but left due to the problems and condition of the Algerian War in 1958. He join the Unified Socialist Party and was named its National Secretary in 1967. He led his party after the resignation of Charles de Gaulle in 1969. He gave up the leadership of the PSU in 1973 and returned to civil service. In 1974 Rocard once again returned to the French Socialist Party and became the national secretary in charge of the public sector.
Rocard was elected mayor of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in 1977. He then headed the party's disapproval of Mitterrand. Rocard ran in the primaries against Mitterrand, but lost the primary. He gladly took his seat as Mitterrand's Prime Minister.
As Prime Minister Rocard managed the economy well, upgraded the status of teachers, and increased university budgets. He had high approval ratings which was characterized by the fall in unemployment in France.
Rocard is a sitting member of the Global Leadership Foundation that works to make available the experience of yesterday's leaders to the current leader to solve the current problems of France.
In 2007 Rocard was operated on for a blood clot in the brain. He again was admitted to the hospital in March 2011.