Former French premier, Michel Rocard, died in a Paris hospital at the age of 85. A staunch proponent of the EU, Rocard nevertheless supported the idea of the UK leaving the bloc before it could “wreck it”. He blamed Britain for Europe’s failures and accused Brits of selfishness and an obsession with trade over the project for political unity. He was a Socialist who served as premier from 1988 to 1991, DPA reported. Admired on the political Left and the Right as one of the brightest politicians of his generation, Rocard’s political achievements included the creation of a minimum welfare benefit system in France and the introduction of reforms in the financing of the public benefits system.
