Lionel Jospin, French prime minister from 1997 to 2002, died aged 88, Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu confirmed on Monday, following first reports of his death the previous day.  "Lionel Jospin has left us," Lecornu said online. "His action, guided by a particular idea of social progress and of republican values, leaves a durable imprint and a model of engagement. Today France loses a loyal servant, whose name will remain tied to the state."  Jospin was a leading figure in France's center-left