Laurent Fabius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laurent Fabius
|
|
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg)
Fabius in 2015
|
|
| President of the Constitutional Council | |
| Assumed office 8 March 2016 |
|
| Appointed by | François Hollande |
| Preceded by | Jean-Louis Debré |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development | |
| In office 16 May 2012 – 11 February 2016 |
|
| Prime Minister | Jean-Marc Ayrault Manuel Valls |
| Preceded by | Alain Juppé |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Marc Ayrault |
| Prime Minister of France | |
| In office 17 July 1984 – 20 March 1986 |
|
| President | François Mitterrand |
| Preceded by | Pierre Mauroy |
| Succeeded by | Jacques Chirac |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 28 March 2000 – 7 May 2002 |
|
| Prime Minister | Lionel Jospin |
| Preceded by | Christian Sautter |
| Succeeded by | Francis Mer |
| President of the National Assembly | |
| In office 12 June 1997 – 28 March 2000 |
|
| Preceded by | Philippe Séguin |
| Succeeded by | Raymond Forni |
| In office 23 June 1988 – 22 January 1992 |
|
| Preceded by | Jacques Chaban-Delmas |
| Succeeded by | Henri Emmanuelli |
| Minister of the Budget | |
| In office 22 May 1981 – 23 March 1983 |
|
| Prime Minister | Pierre Mauroy |
| Preceded by | Maurice Papon |
| Succeeded by | Henri Emmanuelli |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 August 1946 16th arrondissement of Paris, France |
| Political party | Socialist Party |
| Spouse |
Françoise Castro
(m. 1981; div. 2002) |
| Domestic partner | Marie-France Marchand-Baylet |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Lycée Janson-de-Sailly Lycée Louis-le-Grand |
| Alma mater | École normale supérieure Sciences Po École nationale d'administration |
Laurent Fabius (born 20 August 1946) is a French politician. He has held many important roles in the French government. Since 2016, he has been the president of the Constitutional Council.
He was a member of the Socialist Party. He served as Prime Minister of France from 1984 to 1986. At 37 years old, he was one of the youngest prime ministers in the Fifth Republic.
Fabius was also the President of the National Assembly twice. He was the Minister of Finance from 2000 to 2002. Later, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2016.
Early Life
Laurent Fabius was born in Paris, France, in 1946. His parents were Louise and André Fabius. He has two siblings, Catherine and François. His parents came from Jewish families but converted to Catholicism. Fabius was raised Catholic and has three sons.
He went to top schools in France, including Lycée Janson-de-Sailly and Lycée Louis-le-Grand. He also studied at the École normale supérieure, Sciences Po, and the École nationale d'administration. These schools are known for training future leaders and public servants.
Political Career
After finishing his studies, Fabius started working for the Council of State. He joined the Socialist Party in 1974. In 1978, he was elected to the National Assembly. He quickly became close to François Mitterrand, who was the leader of the Socialist Party.
Early Government Roles: 1981–1984
When François Mitterrand became President of France in 1981, he chose Fabius as the Minister of the Budget. This was a very important job. Two years later, Fabius became the Minister of Industry. In this role, he worked on modernizing French industries. In 1984, President Mitterrand appointed him as prime minister.
Prime Minister: 1984–1986
As prime minister, Laurent Fabius wanted to bring a new kind of socialism to France. He believed in a market economy, which meant allowing businesses more freedom. He focused on making industries more modern and productive.
His government also introduced several social policies. They worked to support families, especially those with children. For example, they created a family support allowance for orphans. They also made it easier for parents to take time off work after a child's birth.
In 1985, laws were changed to protect the rights of homosexual people. This included making sure that people could not be treated unfairly because of their sexual orientation. An Immigrants' Council was also set up to help with issues affecting immigrant communities.
The government also focused on education. They invested a lot in technical education and brought more computers into schools. They also reformed universities to better prepare students for jobs.
To help with unemployment, Fabius's government created youth training programs. These programs helped young people gain skills and find jobs. They also improved benefits for people who had been unemployed for a long time.
Despite these efforts, unemployment continued to rise during his time as prime minister. This, along with other challenges, led to the Socialist Party losing the 1986 election. Fabius then stepped down as prime minister.
Later Political Roles: 1986–2012
After his time as prime minister, Fabius remained a key figure in the Socialist Party. He became the President of the National Assembly in 1988 and again in 1997. This is a very important role in the French parliament.
In 1989, he was also elected to the European Parliament. He helped create a group called COSAC. This group brings together members of national parliaments and the European Parliament to discuss European Union matters.
He became the leader of the Socialist Party in 1992 but resigned after the party faced a difficult election in 1993. From 2000 to 2002, he served as the Minister of Economy and Finance.
In 2004, he led a group within his party that opposed the European Constitution. This was a big debate in France. He continued to be an important voice on the left side of the Socialist Party. In 2006, he ran to be the Socialist Party's candidate for president but did not win.
Minister for Foreign Affairs: 2012–2016
.jpg)
In 2012, Laurent Fabius became the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In this role, he represented France on the world stage. He dealt with international relations and global issues.
One of his most important achievements was chairing the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. He played a crucial role in helping countries reach an important agreement to fight climate change. Many people praised his diplomatic skills during this conference.
President of the Constitutional Council: 2016–Present
In 2016, President François Hollande chose Laurent Fabius to become the President of the Constitutional Council. This council makes sure that laws follow the French Constitution. It is one of the highest legal authorities in France.
In November 2023, he took part in a march in Paris. This march was held to protest against the rise in antisemitism in France.
Political Offices
- President of the Constitutional Council: since 2016
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
- Minister of Foreign Affairs: 2012–2016
Elected Offices
- Member of European Parliament: 1989–1992
- President of the National Assembly of France: 1988–1992 and 1997–2000
- Member of the National Assembly of France for Seine-Maritime: 1978–1981, 1986–2000, and 2002–2012
- Regional councillor of Upper Normandy: 1992–1995
- General councillor of Seine-Maritime: 2000–2002
- Mayor of Le Grand-Quevilly: 1995–2000
- First Deputy-mayor of Le Grand-Quevilly: 1977–1995 and 2000–2012
- Municipal councillor of Le Grand-Quevilly: 1977–2016
- President of the Agglomeration community of Rouen: 2008–2012
- Vice-president of the Agglomeration community of Rouen: 2001–2008
- Member of the Agglomeration community of Rouen: 2001–2014
Political Functions
- First Secretary (leader) of the Socialist Party (France): 1992–1993
Personal Life
Laurent Fabius has three children. He was married to Françoise Castro from 1981 to 2002. He owns a flat in Paris and two country houses.
Honours
French National Honours
Grand Cross of the French National Order of Merit (1984)
Grand Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honour (2017)
Foreign Honours
Officer of the National Order of Quebec (1986)
Grand Cross of the Order of Infante D. Henrique (1987)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1990)
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (1991)
Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (1995)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania (1999)
Commander with Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2012)
Grand Officer of the National Order of Mali (2013)
Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (2014)
Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (2015)
Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (2015)
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (2022)
See Also
In Spanish: Laurent Fabius para niños
