Laurent Fabius

Infobox Prime Minister
name=Laurent Fabius


order=158^th Prime Minister of France
9^th Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic
term_start =17 July 1984
term_end =20 March 1986
president =François Mitterrand
predecessor =Pierre Mauroy
successor =Jacques Chirac
birth_date =Birth date and age|1946|8|20|df=y
birth_place =Paris
death_date =
death_place =
party =Socialist
occupation =Civil Servant
spouse =Françoise Castro (div.)
religion =Judaism

Laurent Fabius (born 20 August 1946) is a former Socialist Prime Minister of France. He led the government 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.

Early Life

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

Member of National Assembly

After his studies, he became an auditor for the Council of State. He was first elected to the French 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.

In government

When Mitterrand was elected President of France in 1981, Fabius was nominated Minister of the Budget. Two years later, he became Minister of Industry. 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 the AIDS virus. 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 chairman 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 chairman of the National Assembly in 1997, then as Minister of Economy between 2000 and 2002. After the retirement of Lionel Jospin, 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.

Failed Candidate of French Presidential Election

He 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 re-elected to the National Assembly in the June 2007 parliamentary election. [ [http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/13/tribun/fiches_id/1268.asp CV at National Assembly website] fr icon.]

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

*Laurent Fabius - Prime Minister
*Claude Cheysson - Minister of External Relations
*Roland Dumas - Minister of European Affairs
*Charles Hernu - Minister of Defense
*Pierre Joxe - Minister of the Interior and Decentralization
*Pierre Bérégovoy - Minister of Economy, Finance, and Budget
*Édith Cresson - Minister of Industrial Redeployment and External Commerce
*Michel Delebarre - Minister of Labour, Employment, and Vocational Training
*Robert Badinter - Minister of Justice
*Jean-Pierre Chevènement - Minister of National Education
*Michel Rocard - Minister of Agriculture
*Huguette Bouchardeau - Minister of Environment
*Paul Quilès - Minister of Transport, Town Planning, and Housing
*Michel Crépeau - Minister of Commerce, Craft Industry, and Tourism
*Gaston Defferre - Minister of Planning and Regional Planning
*Hubert Curien - Minister of Research and Technology
*Georgina Dufoix - Minister of Social Affairs and National Solidarity.

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.

References

External links

* [http://www.assemblee-nat.fr/12/tribun/fiches_id/1268.asp Laurent Fabius' official page] in the French National Assembly (in French)
* [http://www.laurent-fabius.net Laurent Fabius' personal web page] (in French)
* [http://www.thehist.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=248&Itemid=455 His Speech] to the College Historical Society of Trinity College