Europe 1 with AFP 11:06 a.m., April 12, 2022, modified at 11:07 a.m., April 12, 2022

Former Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin announced in a press release his intention to vote for Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the presidential election.

Other left-wing personalities, such as Bertrand Delanoe and Bernard Cazeneuve, have also announced that they will vote for the outgoing president.

"In the second round of the election for the presidency of the Republic, on Sunday April 24, the country being faced with two rejection movements, I will dismiss Marine Le Pen and vote for Emmanuel Macron", writes the former Prime Minister of cohabitation Jacques Chirac, who was eliminated against Jean-Marie Le Pen in the first round of the 2002 presidential election.

Lionel Jospin had given his support on March 27 to the socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo, who collected 1.75% on Sunday in the first round, the worst score in the history of his political family.

Delanoe and Cazeneuve also gave their support to Macron

He then invoked his wish "that the chances of a rebirth of the ideas of democratic socialism be preserved tomorrow."

Lionel Jospin, aged 84, was between 1997 and 2002 the cohabitation Prime Minister of Jacques Chirac, at the head of a "plural" left majority.

He also led the PS during François Mitterrand's first presidential term.

Another former socialist Prime Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, also calls on Tuesday morning in a tweet to vote Emmanuel Macron, "because the essential is at stake, the unity of France and the values ​​of the Republic".

Bertrand Delanoë, also PS predecessor of Anne Hidalgo as mayor of Paris, also called on France Inter to vote for the outgoing president.

"I do not idealize Emmanuel Macron, even if I have esteem and friendship for him", he pleaded, also considering that "Ms. Le Pen thinks quietly what Eric Zemmour said out loud".

François Hollande is due to speak soon

Former Socialist President François Hollande must also speak this week for the second round, his entourage told AFP on Monday.

He was preceded by another former president: Nicolas Sarkozy announced this Monday morning that he would vote for Emmanuel Macron on April 24.