Sylviane Agacinski
Encyclopedia
Sylviane Agacinski-Jospin (* 1945) is a French philosopher, author, professor at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales
(EHESS), and wife of Lionel Jospin
, former Prime Minister of France
.
, who directed the EHESS, and she became the stepmother of Lionel Jospin's two children with their marriage.
, but was much more active in his candidacy for president in 2002
. At that time she changed her name to Agacinski-Jospin to "bow to the will of the people", but continues to use her maiden name as a philosopher. In the fall of 2002, after Jospin's surprise exclusion from the runoffs to Jacques Chirac
and Jean-Marie Le Pen
, Agacinsky published Journal Interrompu, a book about the election in diary form, blaming Chirac, the French media, and the French left's internal rivalries.
to include a phrase stating: "The law will encourage equal access for women and men to political life and elected posts." With Jospin's support, the so called "Parité"("Parity") amendment was made on June 28, 1999, and was followed by a law, on May 3, 2000, obliging the country’s political parties to present 50% female candidacies in virtually any race, or lose a corresponding share of their governmental campaign funding. In the 2002 legislative elections
, the first under the new law, Le Pen's National Front was among the few parties to come close to meeting the law, with 49% female candidates; Jospin's Socialists
had 36%, and Chirac's UMP
had 19.6%.
École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
The École des hautes études en sciences sociales is a leading French institution for research and higher education, a Grand Établissement. Its mission is research and research training in the social sciences, including the relationship these latter maintain with the natural and life sciences...
(EHESS), and wife of Lionel Jospin
Lionel Jospin
Lionel Jospin is a French politician, who served as Prime Minister of France from 1997 to 2002.Jospin was the Socialist Party candidate for President of France in the elections of 1995 and 2002. He was narrowly defeated in the final runoff election by Jacques Chirac in 1995...
, former Prime Minister of France
Prime Minister of France
The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
.
Family life
Agacinski's parents were immigrants from Poland, and her sister is French actress Sophie Agacinski. Agacinski is the mother of a son, Daniel, by philosopher Jacques DerridaJacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida was a French philosopher, born in French Algeria. He developed the critical theory known as deconstruction and his work has been labeled as post-structuralism and associated with postmodern philosophy...
, who directed the EHESS, and she became the stepmother of Lionel Jospin's two children with their marriage.
Lionel Jospin
Agacinski met Jospin in 1983, at her sister Sophie's wedding. They married 11 years later. She stayed on the sidelines in Jospin's candidacy for president in 1995French presidential election, 1995
Presidential elections took place in France on 23 April and 7 May 1995, to elect the fifth president of the Fifth Republic.The incumbent Socialist president, François Mitterrand, did not stand for a third term. He was 78, had cancer, and his party had lost the previous legislative election in a...
, but was much more active in his candidacy for president in 2002
French presidential election, 2002
The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002, and a runoff election between the top two candidates on 5 May 2002. This presidential contest attracted a greater than usual amount of international attention because of Le Pen's unexpected appearance in...
. At that time she changed her name to Agacinski-Jospin to "bow to the will of the people", but continues to use her maiden name as a philosopher. In the fall of 2002, after Jospin's surprise exclusion from the runoffs to Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
and Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen is a French far right-wing and nationalist politician who is founder and former president of the Front National party. Le Pen has run for the French presidency five times, most notably in 2002, when in a surprise upset he came second, polling more votes in the first round than...
, Agacinsky published Journal Interrompu, a book about the election in diary form, blaming Chirac, the French media, and the French left's internal rivalries.
Philosophy
As a feminist philosopher, Agacinski is associated with "differentialism", an important strain of French feminism, which argues that the human condition cannot be understood in any universal way without reference to both sexes. She's cited as writing, "We want to keep the freedom to seduce and be seduced. There will never be a war of the sexes in France," in her 1998 book, Sexual Politics.Parité amendment
In 1999, Agacinski was a leading originator of a bill to amend article three of the Constitution of FranceConstitution of France
The current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, and replaced that of the Fourth Republic dating from 1946. Charles de Gaulle was the main driving force in introducing the new constitution and inaugurating the Fifth...
to include a phrase stating: "The law will encourage equal access for women and men to political life and elected posts." With Jospin's support, the so called "Parité"("Parity") amendment was made on June 28, 1999, and was followed by a law, on May 3, 2000, obliging the country’s political parties to present 50% female candidacies in virtually any race, or lose a corresponding share of their governmental campaign funding. In the 2002 legislative elections
French legislative election, 2002
-12th Assembly by Parliamentary Group:...
, the first under the new law, Le Pen's National Front was among the few parties to come close to meeting the law, with 49% female candidates; Jospin's Socialists
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
had 36%, and Chirac's UMP
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
had 19.6%.