Laurent Fabius

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Laurent Fabius

158th Prime Minister of France
9th Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic
In office
17 July 1984 – 20 March 1986
President François Mitterrand
Preceded by Pierre Mauroy
Succeeded by Jacques Chirac
Born 20 August 1946 (1946-08-20) (age 63)
Paris
Political party Socialist
Spouse(s) Françoise Castro (div.)
Occupation Civil Servant

Laurent Fabius (born 20 August 1946) is a French Socialist politician. He served as Prime Minister from 17 July 1984 to 20 March 1986. He was 37 years old when he was appointed and is, so far, the youngest Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic.

Contents

[edit] Early Life

Fabius was born in Paris, the son of André Fabius, a wealthy French art dealer of Ashkenazi Jewish extraction, and his wife Louise (née Mortimer).

[edit] Member of National Assembly

After his studies, he became an auditor for the Council of State. He was first elected to the National Assembly in 1978 as of the Socialist Party candidate for the fourth constituency of Seine Maritime. He quickly gained entry to the circle of François Mitterrand, the leader of the party.

[edit] In government

When Mitterrand was elected president in 1981, Fabius was nominated Minister of the Budget. Two years later, he became Minister of Industry, and pursued the policy of "industrial restructuration". In 1984, a government shake up by Mitterrand led him to be appointed Prime Minister (choosing him over the likes of Pierre Bérégovoy and Jacques Delors) at the age of 37. He advocated a new French socialism which accepts the market economy. He resigned after the Socialist defeat in the 1986 legislative election.

Symbol of a "modern" French socialism, he was weakened by the "infected blood scandal". His government was accused of having knowingly let doctors give haemophiliacs transfusions of blood infected by HIV. A judicial process similar to Impeachment acquitted him of all personal moral responsibility in the matter but he has never been absolved by public opinion.

He came to be seen as Lionel Jospin's rival to be Mitterrand's heir. He failed to win the First Secretaryship of the party in 1988 and 1990 (Rennes Congress) in spite of Mitterrand's support. Installed as President of the National Assembly in 1988 (at 41 years of age, the equal youngest in the history of the lower house), he succeeded finally in becoming First Secretary of the party in 1992, but resigned after the Socialist disaster of the 1993 legislative election.

He came back as President of the National Assembly in 1997, then as Minister of Economy and Finance in Lionel Jospin's cabinet between 2000 and 2002. After Jospin's retirement, he hoped to return as Socialist leader but he failed. He declared that his mind was changed about a number of matters and he joined the left-wing of the party.

In this position he was the leader of the defeated no camp in the vote that took place among the members of his party on 1 December 2004, to decide the stance that the party would take on the impending Referendum on the European Constitution. He went on to lead the rebel faction of the party advocating a no vote in the 2005 Referendum, and was seen as the spearhead of the whole no campaign in France. After the no vote won, the party leader gave an assurance that he could remain in the party though he was dismissed from the party's National Executive Committee.

[edit] 2007 Socialist Party presidential primary election

Fabius was a candidate in the Socialist Party's primary election to be the party's candidate in the 2007 presidential election, but finished third, behind Ségolène Royal, the winner, and Dominique Strauss-Kahn. He was subsequently re-elected to the National Assembly in the June 2007 parliamentary election.[1]

[edit] Political career

Governmental functions

Prime minister : 1984-1986.

Minister of Budget : 1981-1983.

Minister of Research and Industry : 1983-1984.

Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry : 2000-2002.

Electoral mandates

European Parliament

Member of European Parliament : 1989-1992 (Resignation). Elected in 1989.

National Assembly of France

President of the National Assembly of France : 1988-1992 (Resignation) / 1997-2000 (Became minister in 2000).

Member of the National Assembly of France for Seine-Maritime : 1978-1981 (Became minister in 1981) / 1986-2000 (Became minister in 2000) / And since 2002. Elected in 1978, reelected in 1981, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2007.

Regional Council

Regional councillor of Haute-Normandie : 1992-1995 (Resignation).

General Council

General councillor of Seine-Maritime : 2000-2002 (Resignation).

Municipal Council

Mayor of Le Grand-Quevilly : 1995-2000 (Resignation).

Deputy-mayor of Le Grand-Quevilly : 1977-1995 / And since 2000. Reelected in 1983, 1989, 2000, 2001, 2008.

Municipal councillor of Le Grand-Quevilly : Since 1977. Reelected in 1983, 1989, 1995, 2001, 2008.

Agglomeration community Council

President of the Agglomeration community of Rouen : Since 2008.

Vice-president of the Agglomeration community of Rouen : 2001-2008.

Member of the Agglomeration community of Rouen : Since 2001. Reelected in 2008.

Political functions

First Secretary (leader) of the Socialist Party (France) : 1992-1993.

[edit] Fabius's Ministry, 19 July 1984 - 20 March 1986

Changes

  • 7 December 1984 - Roland Dumas succeeds Cheysson as Minister of External Relations. The position of Minister of European Affairs is abolished. Jack Lang enters the Cabinet as Minister of Culture. The office of Minister of Social Affairs and National Solidarity is abolished, and Georgina Dufoix leaves the Cabinet.
  • 4 April 1985 - Henri Nallet succeeds Rocard as Minister of Agriculture.
  • 21 May 1985 - 15 November 1985 Edgard Pisani appointed minister in charge of New Caledonia
  • 20 September 1985 - Paul Quilès succeeds Hernu as Minister of Defense in the wake of the Rainbow Warrior bombing. Jean Auroux succeeds Quilès as Minister of Transport, Town Planning, and Housing.
  • 19 February 1986 - Michel Crépeau succeeds Badinter as Minister of Justice. Jean-Marie Bockel succeeds Crépeau as Minister of Commerce, Craft Industry, and Tourism.

[edit] References

  1. ^ CV at National Assembly website (French).

[edit] External links

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Political offices
Preceded by
Jean-Pierre Chevènement		 Minister of Industry
1983 – 1984		 Succeeded by
Edith Cresson
Minister of Research
1983 – 1984		 Succeeded by
Hubert Curien
Preceded by
Pierre Mauroy		 Prime Minister of France
1984 – 1986		 Succeeded by
Jacques Chirac
Preceded by
Jacques Chaban-Delmas		 President of the National Assembly
1988 – 1992		 Succeeded by
Henri Emmanuelli
Preceded by
Philippe Séguin		 President of the National Assembly
1997 – 2000		 Succeeded by
Raymond Forni
Preceded by
Christian Sautter		 Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry
2000 – 2002		 Succeeded by
Francis Mer
Party political offices
Preceded by
Pierre Mauroy		 First Secretary of the Socialist Party
1992 – 1993		 Succeeded by
Michel Rocard
v • d • e
French Socialist Party
First secretaries
Alain Savary (1969–1971) · François Mitterrand (1971–1981) · Lionel Jospin (1981–1988)  · Pierre Mauroy (1988–1992) · Laurent Fabius (1992–1993) · Michel Rocard (1993–1994) · Henri Emmanuelli (1994–1995) · Lionel Jospin (1995–1997) · François Hollande (1997–2008) · Martine Aubry (2008- )
National Conferences
Alfortville Congress (May 1969)  · Issy-les-Moulineaux Congress (July 1969) · Epinay Congress (1971) · Grenoble Congress (1973) · Pau Congress (1975) · Nantes Congress (1977) · Metz Congress (1979) · Créteil Congress (January 1981) · Valence Congress (October 1981) · Bourg-en-Bresse Congress (1983) · Toulouse Congress (1985) · Lille Congress (1987) · Rennes Congress (1990) · Grande Arche Congress (1991) · Bordeaux Congress (1992) · Bourget Congress (1993) · Liévin Congress (1994) · Brest Congress (1997) · Second Grenoble Congress (2000) · Dijon Congress (2003) · Le Mans Congress (2005) · Reims Congress (2008)
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