 Chirac ran for a second term, emphasising a strong economy (mostly unaffected by downturns in Germany and the United States).It was widely expected that Chirac and Lionel Jospin, the prime minister and candidate for the Socialist Party, would be the most popular candidates in the first round, and would thus go on to face each other in the runoff.However, Jospin unexpectedly finished in third place behind Le Pen.