• Prime Minister of France Pierre Mauroy, 1928
• Prime Minister of France Laurent Fabius, 1946

After the electoral disasters of 1968 and 1969, he was persuaded of the necessity to renew the party. In 1971, during the Epinay Congress, he supported François Mitterrand's election to the party leadership and became the second most powerful person in the Socialist Party (PS). Two years later, he was elected as a deputy and Mayor of Lille.

Increasingly, Mauroy criticized the replacement of former SFIO members from important positions by allies of Mitterrand. In this, he formed an alliance with Michel Rocard, the main opponent of Mitterrand, during the 1979 Metz Congress. However, Mitterrand chose him as spokesperson during the 1981 presidential campaign. Αfter Mitterrand's election, he appointed Mauroy as Prime Minister.

Mauroy's government was a radical reforming one, implementing a wide range of social reforms including the reduction of the legal workweek from 40 to 39 hours, the limiting of continuous shift working to an average of no more than 35 hours per week, the lowering of the retirement age to 60, and a rise in social welfare benefits. Entitlement to paid holidays was also extended from four to five weeks. During the Mauroy government's first year in office, minimum pensions were increased by 38%, rent allowances by 50%, family allowances by 25% (50% for households with two children), and the minimum wage by 25%.

During the 1981 – 82 period, state industrial investment was substantially increased, 17 billion francs in ”soft loan” credit was provided to private industry, 7 billion francs was set aside to help school leavers, 54,000 new civil service jobs were created, and a major house - building drive was launched. Efforts were made to shift the burden of direct taxes away from lower income groups, while increases in the minimum wage gave the low paid a real increase in their living standards of about 15% in 1981 – 82. Unemployment benefits were also increased, together with the duration of time in which one could receive them. In addition, the maximum allowable workweek was reduced from 50 to 48 hours.

Upon taking office, the Mauroy Government embarked upon an ambitious redistributive programme. The minimum wage went up in real terms by 11% between May 1981 and September 1982, while the minimum old age pension was increased by 30%. 800,000 elderly people were exempted from paying T.V. licenses, while 1.5 million were also exempted from local taxes. Between May 1981 and January 1983, family benefits were significantly increased, with the purchasing power of the 2,700,000 families with two children raised by 40%. These policies significantly improved the living standards of the less well off in French society, with poverty reduced during Mauroy's term in office. Family allowances were increased by 81% for families with two children and by 49% for families with three children, while old - age pensions were raised by 300 francs a month for a single person and 3,700 francs for a couple.

Altogether, the purchasing power of social transfers went up by 45% in 1981 and by 7.6% in 1982. Health care coverage was also extended, with health insurance benefits made more widely available to part time employees and the unemployed. Efforts were also made to promote voluntary retirement at sixty, with a pension ranging upwards from 80% of the SMIC (fr) to 50% of a middle management salary. In 1982, two measures were introduced that extended eligibility for early retirement for workers aged 55 to 59: the contrats de préretraites progressives and the contrats de solidarité - démission. These programmes were aimed at stimulating consumption and aggregate demand by providing firms with incentives to hire younger workers as replacements for early retirees. A year later, “solidarity contracts” were introduced which provided early retirement for older workers aged 55 or above on the condition that firms replace recipients with younger workers. Elderly people benefited greatly from the social and economic measures undertaken by the Mauroy Government, with the real income of pensioners rising by a quarter.

Harsh immigration statutes introduced during the presidency of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing were reversed, while an immigration law was passed (1981) to limit the grounds for expelling foreigners to facilitate family reunions and amnesty 130,000 illegal immigrants. A 1982 law introduced new rights for helper spouses, while the anti - discriminatory Professional Equality Law (1983), which defined equality between men and women "in sweeping terms," required all businesses to furnish statistics on the situation of women in the workplace. This legislation marked a new departure in anti - discriminatory efforts and, reinforced by a series of measures taken by the Rocard government in 1989, brought an end to wage differentials hidden by different job descriptions. Decentralising laws were also passed which transferred responsibilities for urban planning to municipalities and economic planning to the regions. In addition, various measures were introduced to improve socio - economic conditions in low income neighbourhoods. Aid for the improvement of older HLM housing was increased, with the allocation for 1982 being about 40% higher than in 1981. A collaborative ‘interministerial’ approach to employment and the social rehabilitation of ‘at risk’ youth was adopted, and in 1983 the Banlieue 89 project was instigated for social and educational measures on estates in the educational priority areas. As a result of such policies, urban grants (as a proportion of local authority revenues) significantly increased during the first three years of the Mitterrand presidency, especially in municipalities controlled by the Left. In 1982, the Missions locales pour l’insertion professionnelle et sociale des jeunes were established, local advice centres that targeted young people (essentially in the 16 - 25 age group) experiencing major difficulties in finding work. A military reform law, passed in July 1983, enabled those who were opposed to the usage of arms on grounds of conscience to be accepted for civilian service.

An Ordinance of February 1982 limited the duration of fixed term contracts to 6 to 12 months, and introduced an end of contract bonus of 5% total gross pay over the contract's period. Another Ordinance passed that same month restricted the duration of assignments to 6 months, and increased the ‘precarious employment allowance’ from 4% to 15% of gross pay per assignment. For public sector workers, a law was passed in 1982 to prevent gender segregation in recruitment and to ensure that the situation was monitored carefully. An Act of July 1982 allowed the spouses of shopkeepers and artisans to receive social or work related entitlements. An Act of August 1982 raised employers’ participation in financing the public transportation expenses of employees. In April 1982 special aids were extended to farmers who had invested between 1 April 1981 and 31 March 1982.

Pursuant to its campaign pledges, the Mauroy Government established 14,760 new permanent teaching posts at the elementary and secondary levels in June 1981, and provided for 16,800 more in the 1982 budget and an additional 8,370 in the 1983 budget. A major increase in the modest salaries of elementary school teachers was announced. Technical education at the secondary level was declared to be a priority area, with special attention in the form of more scholarship money, additional teaching positions, and the commitment of 430 million francs per year for three years for the introduction of new technologies into the school program. However, these actions (particularly the creation of only 400 new technical teachers’ positions in 1981, when enrolment went up by 11,000) were seen as inadequate by the National Union of Technical Education - Autonomous Apprenticeship. In December 1981, a general science programme in the eleventh grade (premier) was created to replace the mathematics program (the Bac C) which, after the fall from favor of Latin and Greek, had come to be known as a “royal road into élitist schools and careers.” The Premier S programme was an attempt to postpone definitive scholastic and social segregation, and also to reduce the importance of mathematical aptitude as the primary criterion for selection into élite schools. Greater funds were allocated to education, with the education budget was increased by 17.3% in 1982 and by 15% in 1983. In 1981 – 82, as a means of tackling cases of education failure, the Ministry of Education subsidized projects designed to help weaker students in 4,500 of the country's 7,300 secondary schools. Although these subsidies were only of 30 million francs, the program encouraged secondary schools to pay attention to the problem. They were heaviest in designated priority education and action zones.

In 1981, Educational Priority Zones were set up to provide additional resources to schools in depressed areas and to combat academic failure. The 1982 budget increased spending on education by 17%, while the 1983 budget provided tenure for 14,399 “auxiliariat,” teachers were only employed on a casual basis. A decree of June 1982 established a commission for public education staff training (or MAFPEN) in each "académie," while CPR (or “regional teacher training center,” which were established in 1952) training placements were extended to 8–9 hours a week. That same year, the Delegation for Training and Research in Education was set up to coordinate the activities of the MAFPENs.

The outgoing centre - right government was perceived to have harassed university assistants, the most junior faculty rank, by publicly questioning their qualifications, by increasing the teaching load of those who had not completed doctoral theses, and by limiting prospects for promotion and tenure. In May 1982, after several unions and associations announced a strike of assistants to call attention to their unmet grievances, the new education minister Alain Savary assured union leaders that all assistants who wished to continue a university career would be granted tenure. Promotion would be facilitated by the establishment of a thousand new maitre - assistant post per year for 4 years. In April 1982, following several demonstrations and strikes by the National Associations of Assistants (ANA), 2000 new tenured assistant positions were created.

Government decrees of September and October 1982 introduced various reforms aimed at making entry to the National School of Administration (or ENA) more accessible to a wider range of French society. The age limit was raised to enable less favored candidates to catch up on career advancement, the element in the entrance examination for “general culture” (which had proven advantageous to upper class applicants) was reduced, students from other grandes ecoles were prevented from making claims that they were already civil servants when they applied to the National School of Administration, and a rule of parity between students and lower civil servants among candidates for admission to the ENA was established. In addition, a law of January 1983 introduced a third route of access to the National School of Administration, reserved for those who had held important posts in mutual aid societies, voluntary associations, and trade unions for a period of at least eight years, and extended this opportunity to certain local elected officials.

The Auroux laws (1982) increased the rights of trade unions and employees in the workplace, covering collective bargaining, representation, information, health and safety, and unfair dismissal. The Auroux Laws included a requirement that half of all overtime worked in excess of 130 hours per year must be compensated by additional time off, while trade union delegates became entitled to an increase in paid time off for union activities and to increased protection against dismissal. In addition, an Auroux Law of November 1982 established an obligation to negotiate real wages and hours once a year at the level of the firm, and to negotiate real wages once a year and to revise job classifications once every five years at the national industry level. Mandatory collective bargaining at the firm level of industry was introduced, while the laws also strengthened the rules on health and safety in the workplace, bestowing more rights upon the Comites d’hygiene et securite (though not the right to stop production in case of extreme danger), while also granting working class representatives release time, training for involvement in the comite d’entreprise and other representative bodies in the firm, recourse to expert consultants. Unions acquired rights to organize, to hold meetings in firms, and to call in outside speakers to address the workers. Worker representation on the comite d’rentreprise was increased and the comite was provided with additional powers, such as the right to obtain confidential economic information from the firm to use in advising it on policy. In spite of these positive changes, however, the comite d'entreprise remained a consultative body with little influence on economic policy, while only large firms were required to provide their comite d’enterprises with economic information. This meant that almost two - thirds of the workers were excluded from exercising this oversight function.

A government decree of March 1982 sought to provide greater employment security for the increasing number of workers on part time and fixed term contracts by restricting the circumstances in which employers could use such labor (this was largely to ensure that permanent employees were not displaced by cheaper and more easily dismissed part time workers). The law set out to ensure that such workers receive the same benefits as full time workers and trade unions were given statutory rights to institute legal proceedings against employers or temporary work agencies if the provisions of the new law were evaded. That same year, the government passed legislation to ensure the full, legal eligibility of women for all civil service posts and an active policy was adopted to encourage them to come forward for promotion. In 1981, legislation was passed which permitted the establishment of local private radio stations. In March 1982, a “Special Statute” was granted to Corsica, which set the territory apart legally from other regions and provided it with additional state subsidies and greater autonomy over cultural, social, economic and educational policies. Various measures were also introduced to improve conditions for migrants. A new drive began in 1981 to encourage local authorities to establish programs including literacy programs, housing schemes, and the setting up of young people's and women's groups, and in 1983 France ratified the Council of Europe's Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers. The Association Law of 1981 allowed foreigners for the first time to form associations in France under the same rules that governed citizens, and these new immigrant associations were thereafter eligible to receive public funding. New policies removed the French language requirements of immigrants to run for seats in employee institutions, and foreign workers became eligible for the first time to sit on important industrial relations councils known as the Conseils des Prud’hommes. In 1982, an existing program to assist the repatriation of Algerian nationals was replaced by a system offering a choice between vocational training, assistance to set up a small business and a repatriation grant.

Decrees were made in January 1982 concerning official recognition of persons and bodies responsible for noise monitoring, the monitoring of carbon monoxide and benzene levels in the atmosphere at workplaces, and the inspection of electrical installations. A decree issued in February 1982 laid down safety measures to be taken against electrical hazards arising during the construction, operation and maintenance of electric power distribution installations. A decree issued by the Minister of Labour in March 1982 specified the offices responsible for carrying out the technical tests on particularly dangerous machinery (listed in a decree of April 1981) which are required before the machinery can be officially approved. It also specified the information to be provided by the person applying for official approval. A decree of May 1982 contained provisions on the setting up, restructuring, organization, financing and tasks of occupational health services in agricultural undertakings and listed those agricultural undertakings for which special medical surveillance is required. Another decree, made that same month, contained new regulations governing health, safety and preventive health measures in public undertakings. It laid down detailed health and safety requirements and specified how these were to be met. It also contained provisions on training in the area, medical surveillance, and health and safety services. Two Orders of July 1982 amended the rules applicable to fixed term contracts and temporary work with the intention of restricting the use of casual labor and improving the living and working conditions of workers in insecure jobs. A law of July 1982 concerning the spouses of craftsmen and tradesmen employed in the family business amended the provisions of the labor code, social security system, civil code and company law to establish an occupational status for this group of people. In June 1982, a new popular savings book paying index - linked interest was introduced, under which Individuals domiciled for tax purposes in France and whose tax liability was under FF 1 000 were entitled to hold a maximum of FF 10000 (FF 20000 for households) savings in that scheme. Also in 1982, holidays for the low paid were encouraged by an extension of holiday Vouchers (Cheques - Vacances), subsidized by the employer and requiring regular saving out of earnings. A banking law of January 1984 entitled individuals lacking current accounts who had been refused by three banks to ask the Bank of France to designate a bank or the postal bank to provide them with free accounts.

An Act of January 1984 asserted a right for all parents to benefit from a parental leave of absence for childrearing, providing that they have one year's seniority. This legislation also allowed parents (under the same conditions) to request part time work and to shift freely between part time work and parental leave. In 1982, the law governing the age of consent for homosexual activity was reduced from 18 to 15 years to match the age of consent for heterosexual activity. For those with disabilities, a 1982 law on urban transport reform stated that special measures must be taken to accommodate the special needs of people with limited mobility. A law passed on 9 July 1984 provided that a worker with at least two years' service must receive a redundancy payment based on gross earnings prior to termination of the work contract. The law further provided that workers aged 60 or above who voluntarily left the firm would receive a retirement severance grant.

Various measures were also undertaken to encourage research. Higher spending was allocated to research, while the directors of the various research councils were changed and a series of regional colloquia set up, which culminated in a national “assises” of researchers, where some 3,000 met in Paris to establish guidelines for future research policy. A law was passed that allowed researchers in universities and agencies to sign contracts with industry. CESTA, an agency for evaluating new fields of science and technology, was established, while more money was allocate to ANVAR, the national agency for promoting the application of basic research.

To safeguard workers from exposure to dangerous substances and agents, three Orders containing the lists and the conditions for the labelling and packaging of dangerous substances (10 October 1983), of dangerous preparations solvents (11 October 1983) and of paints, varnishes, printing inks, glues and similar products (12 October 1983) gave effect to the corresponding EEC Directives under national legislation. A circular implementing these three Orders was issued in January 1984 and the substances and preparations not included in these orders were covered by a circular on 4 July 1984. A circular of July 1982 on maximum concentrations was supplemented by two others, dated December 1983 and May 1984, with a view to the introduction of EEC Directive 80-1107 of November 1980 on the protection of workers from exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents at work.

A law on worker's democracy in public sector companies was passed in July 1983 which sought to recreate a spirit of tripartism in a sector of the economy where existing statutory rights had failed to provide anything more than a consultative role for representatives. Previously, workers had the right to be represented on the boards of public sector companies with 50 or more staff and were entitled to at least 2 board seats, but under the new legislation, public sector companies (previously nationalized companies plus those companies that were nationalized in 1982 in which the state was the majority shareholder) would be obliged to have tripartite administrative or supervisory boards to which employee representatives would be elected by the workforce. A couple of autogestionary measures were also introduced. One measure involved workers’ representation on the administrative councils of the nationalized industries, under which one - third of the members of these councils being drawn from the workforce. The other measure involved elections to the administrative commissions for social security, under which 15 and 25 members of these commissions were chosen through elections among those who were insured by the fund.

A law on vocational training in February 1984 established employment contracts for six months for further training on the job while taking courses. These included the contrats de qualification, the contrats d’adaptation, ranging from 6 to 24 months, and a 3 to 6 month program known as the stages d’initiation a la vie professionnelle, which was designed to familiarise young people with factory and firm. A 1983 law on apprenticeships laid down the principle that apprenticeship is a method of giving young workers having completed schooling a general theoretical and practical training, for the purpose of acquiring professional qualifications leading to technology diplomas. The law laid down a number of general rules on apprenticeship. Training is organised on the basis of alternation, part in industry, and part in the apprenticeship center, while a contractual relationship must be created between the apprentice and the employer, by means of an apprenticeship contract. A higher education law of 1983 restored democratic representation on university councils and granted the universities greater autonomy and more power to conduct research and to make contacts with industry.

A decree of 23 March 1982 listed the offices responsible for testing lifting equipment other than lifts and building site hoists, while a decree issued in May that same year 1982 extended its provisions to agriculture. Under a decree of 31 March 1982, the general health and safety regulations for dangerous machinery and appliances were extended to include portable hand operated machinery and appliances. Exceptions for certain less dangerous appliances were laid down in a decree of June 1982. In regards to the agricultural sector, a decree of 8 March 1982 laid down the conditions attached to the approval of electrical installations in agricultural undertakings and specified which offices are authorized to test these installations. In 1983, leave was introduced for setting up businesses and sabbatical leave for wage earners, and in June that year, a law was passed that completed the incorporation into French Law of a 1977 European Council Directive on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the safeguarding of employees' rights in the event of transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of businesses.

The Deferre Law reduced the powers of the prefect, set up elected regional councils, and increased the powers of local government. The security court was abolished, and measures were introduced to control police harassment. Legal aid was extended, legislation was introduced which effectively combated discrimination against homosexuals, and the traditional powers of the juge d’instruction in the preparation of criminal cases was reduced. The Quillot Law of 1982 provided renters with additional rights in housing matters, while an audiovisual law passed that same year brought an end to the state monopoly of audiovisual broadcasting and established a High Authority to guarantee the independence of public television channels. Laws were passed in 1982 to reform higher education to make the academy more responsive to the needs of the state. High security wings in prisons were abolished, while social security reform increased workers’ representation on the bodies that oversaw the management of the social security schemes. In order to make the elite political academy (the ENA) accessible to a wider section of the population, a special entry pathway was established for those who had held trade union or political office. A new health care policy was implemented, which included the abolition of private beds in hospitals, reform of medical training, modernization of facilities, and the election of the heads of medical services by the entire staff, rather than just by doctors, as had previously been the case. The Mauroy Government also withdrew a ministerial circular issued by the previous government that limited initiatives by regional councils, while a grant was created for the purpose of subsidizing local cultural projects and activities.

The Mauroy Government did much to promote arts, culture and education, as characterized by a tripling in real terms in state aid to the arts, a quadrupling of spending on public libraries, which led to the number of library loans growing by a third, and the removal of obstacles to cheaper book retailing. Aid was provided to provincial art museums and local archives for working class affairs established, while funding to provincial libraries was significantly increased, with the national library budget going up from 163 million to 677 million francs. As a result of this additional library expenditure, 17 departments which had previously lacked a “bibliotheque centrale de pret in 1981 had acquired one by 1986. In addition, as a result of the Mauroy Government's library program, 10 million more people obtained access to major lending library resources. As Paris’ share of the cultural budget fell from 60% to 45% between 1981 and 1985, the provinces acquired new theaters, artistic centers, music halls, ballet companies, and popular culture facilities. During its first year in office, the Mauroy government increased spending on culture from 0.45% of the national budget to 0.75%, a figure which rose to 0.84% in 1984.

The incomes of the poorest sections of society were increased exponentially as a result of social security reforms and a 25% increase in the minimum wage. Allowances for the handicapped were also increased, while the right to deduct the cost of child care for all children under the age of three was introduced (a right later extended to include all children under the age of five in some cases). Unemployed workers ineligible for jobless benefits were given back the right to claim sickness insurance that they had lost in 1979 while the reimbursal of the costs of dental fees, hearing aids and glasses was improved. An 80 franc per month charge that had been imposed on certain long term illnesses was abrogated, and certain individuals who had retired before 1973 had the base upon which their pensions were calculated adjusted upward. Between 1981 and 1983, the minimum vieillesse (the basic pension benefit for the elderly poor) was raised by 62%.

To assist young farmers, the role of the SAFER (Societe d'Amenagemcnt Foncier et d'Etablissement Rural) was extended in 1982 to give preferential aid to this group to enlarge their holdings. Various measures were also introduced that helped to boost farmers’ incomes. A partial price freeze instituted in June 1982 helped to limit the increase in production costs, while an income assistance program (introduced in 1982 to compensate for a decline in farmers’ incomes in 1981) contributed to a reduction in sectoral inequalities. In addition, an EEC price hike which the government negotiated in May 1982 represented an improvement over that of the previous year (11.2% compared with 10.3%). Consultative channels between farmers and government were also widened beyond the Federation Nationale des Syndicats d'Exploitants Agricoles (or FNSEA, the chief farming syndicate). In addition, the Mauroy Government had helped in the establishment of 12,000 farms with young farmers by mid 1983.

From 1982 onwards, all self - employed women in France were provided with a lump sum maternity grant which may be supplemented by an income replacement allowance. In 1983, the unemployment compensation program was expanded to include workers who had resigned from their jobs. A law of July 1984 introduced a new benefit called the Insertion Allowance, providing short term support for those in periods of transition into the labor market. Another law passed that same month introduced a Special Solidarity Allowance for long term unemployed persons with no insurance entitlements remaining. In addition, an Act of October 1982 fully extended the right to join a union to people who were retired, and a law of February 1984 increased state support for the development and training activities of companies.

Although the Mauroy government's social policies improved the living standards of the less well off in French society, its reflationary economic strategy (based on encouraging domestic consumption) failed to improve the French economy in the long term, with increases in the level of inflation as well as in the trade and budget deficits. Although the government's reflationary policies tended to stabilize unemployment, the number of people out of work topped 2 million, in spite of a pledge made by Mitterrand to keep it below this figure. A large budget deficit emerged, with social benefits and aid to industry alone going up by 50% in the 1982 budget. In addition, private investment failed to respond to the government's initiatives, with a 12% decline in volume in 1981. This led Mauroy to advocate the abandonment of Socialist economic policies (which failed to reduce unemployment and inflation), a controversial "U-turn" which was ratified by President Mitterrand in March 1983, and a number of austerity measures were carried out. In 1982, housing allowances were decoupled from the cost - of - living adjustment index. In 1982 and 1983, eligibility for unemployment benefits was tightened. A complex set of changes introduced in 1983 surrounding early retirement effectively reduced guarantees to full pensions for early retirees. Daily charges for hospital beds were introduced, while a variety of medical reimbursements were reduced. In September 1982, the indexation of wages and salaries in the public sector was abolished.

During the austerity period, the aim of the Socialists was limited to that of safeguarding the position of beneficiaries as far as possible and of giving special consideration to the poorest amongst them. While further increases in benefits for the elderly, the handicapped, and in some family allowances later became possible, extra costs were also imposed. For instance, the duration of unemployment benefits was reduced, while a basic hospital charge (with exemptions) was introduced, and contributions from the early retired and unemployed towards health care were demanded although, once again, the worse off were exempt. Austerity measures also led to efforts to restrain family costs while at the same time trying to safeguard priority groups. In February 1982, a 25% increase was made in allowances for families containing two eligible children, but some benefits were abandoned and the starting and finishing dates for eligibility altered. Later, cash increases were less than the amounts necessary to maintain the real value of family benefits except for the poorest groups in French society. The limits on income assessed for social insurance contributions were raised and the income base upon which employers and the self - employed were assessed for contributions was changed. The cost of support for handicapped adults was transferred to the national government, although some taxation on tobacco and alcohol was also earmarked for this purpose. A 1% tax on personal incomes was imposed (although the poorest 33% of taxpayers was excluded), and a 1% “solidarity” contribution levied on civil servants towards the cost of unemployment insurance. In spite of austerity, however, the real value of social protection made modest increases. Within the total, the greatest benefits was reserved for the poorest whilst income was raised in ways which saw a modest shift from traditional financing methods towards general community financing.

Failing to restrict the financing of private schools via the Savary Law, he resigned in 1984.

In 1988 he became First Secretary of the PS against the will of Mitterrand, who supported Laurent Fabius. Until the end of his term, in 1992, he tried to appease the relations between the factions which composed the PS, notably during the very strained 1990 Rennes Congress. He allied with the rocardien group and Lionel Jospin's supporters, who came from the mitterrandist group.

President of the Socialist International from 1992 to 1999, Senator since 1992, he left the Lille mayoralty in 2001. Considered a moral authority of the French Left, he supported the candidacy of Ségolène Royal during the 2007 primary election.

Fabius was also President of the National Assembly from 1988 to 1992 and again from 1997 to 2000. Fabius served in the government as Minister of Finance from 2000 to 2002 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2016.

Fabius was born in the wealthy 16th arrondissement of Paris, the son of Louise (born Strasburger - Mortimer; 1911 – 2010) and André Fabius (1908 – 1984). He is the younger brother of Catherine Leterrier and François Fabius. His parents were from Ashkenazi Jewish families who converted to Catholicism. Fabius was raised a Catholic. He has three sons, David (1978) with his partner Ch d'Izarny Gargas, Thomas (1981) and Victor (1983) with his spouse Francoise Castro.

Fabius's secondary education was at the Lycée Janson - de - Sailly and Lycée Louis - le - Grand. Fabius was a graduate of institutions that are training grounds for academics (École normale supérieure), and senior civil servants and executives (Sciences Po, École nationale d'administration).

After his studies, Fabius became an auditor for the Council of State. A member of the Socialist Party (PS) since 1974, Fabius was first elected to the National Assembly in 1978 for the fourth constituency of Seine - Maritime. Fabius quickly gained entry to the circle of François Mitterrand, the leader of the party.

When Mitterrand was elected as President of France in 1981, Fabius was nominated as Minister of the Budget. Two years later, Fabius became Minister of Industry, and pursued the policy of "industrial restructuring". In 1984, a government shake up by Mitterrand led Fabius to be appointed as Prime Minister (choosing Fabius over Pierre Bérégovoy and Jacques Delors) at the age of 37.

Fabius advocated a new kind of French socialism, which accepted the market economy. In social policy, a law of December 1984 replaced allowance for orphans with a family support allowance, and empowered family allowance funds to aid in recovery of child support when a parent fails to pay. The allowable income for recipients of the young child allowance was increased (July 1984) for families with three or more children. The Fabius Government also sought to reduce penalties on families with working mothers by substantially increasing the income ceiling for dual income families receiving the young child allowance. A parental education fund was created (1985), which provided for payments to each person who stops work or reduces hours of work as a result of the birth of any child beyond the first two, for which the parent(s) is/are responsible. In 1985, as a means of upholding the rights of homosexuals, the penal code was amended to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of "moral habits" which included sexual orientation.

A decree of 17 July 1984 set up an Immigrants' Council, which could be consulted on questions of concern to the immigrant population regarding living conditions, housing, work, employment, education and training, as well as social and cultural activities. In November 1984, an allowance was introduced if the parent concerned had been employed for two or more years. Known as the "allocation parentale d’education," this allowance provided 1,000 francs per month for parents who decided to take two years of parental leave after the birth of their first child. The "allocation au jeune enfant," introduced in January 1985, was paid to all families at a flat rate for each child from the third month of pregnancy for nine months, regardless of the parents’ income. Payment was to continue after this period for 8 out of 10 families for a further 32 months on a means - tested basis. In effect, this created a benefit for the first child in lower income families. The government, however, reduced the daily maternity allowance from 90% to 84% of the basic wage, while the reimbursement rate of so-called "comfort" medicinal products was also lowered.

In June 1985, a law was passed allowing first offenders who had committed petty crimes to serve sentences of six months or less in public service jobs. A July 1985 law tripled the amount of aid for victims of crimes. Legislation was introduced later that year to restrict the use of preventive detention, and ensure that the rights of suspects were better protected.

A decree of September 1984 reconstituted the Supreme Council for the Prevention of Occupational Risks, a consultative body representing both sides of industry, to make its function more flexibly, and was extended to include crafts. A law of January 1985 extended the scope for associations whose formal objectives include combating racism to institute a civil action where an offense has been committed against an individual by reason of his national or ethnic origin, race or religion. A special 1985 holiday program was introduced, directed particularly at young people outside the traditional circuits of organized leisure activities. Provisions were also adopted that same year according new rights to families and users of child social assistance, particularly as regards information and the association of families and children in decision making. The right to maternity leave was also extended to the father, in the event of the death of the mother in child birth. The father was entitled to post natal leave and could claim an allowance under the maternity insurance scheme.

In the field of education, much time and effort was spent on improving the system and educational outcomes. Vast sums were provided to improve technical education in schools, with closer ties established between education and industry, a program was launched to train 25,000 teachers per annum in the use of computers, 100,000 computers were purchased for students to use, and 1 billion francs were provided for purchasing modern machine tools. The university system was reformed along practical, technological lines, with a degree in new technologies introduced, the reorientation of the first cycle to include greater emphasis on languages and new technologies, the provision of students with orientation and career opportunity meetings to help them plan their course of study in relation to the job market. Universities were encouraged to open up to industry and new technologies via training more skilled researchers and considering the practical needs of business. In 1985, a vocational baccalaureat was established. to provide training for highly skilled workers.

In employment policy, the Fabius Government introduced a number of measures designed to mitigate the effects of unemployment. In 1984, three youth training programs were set up to ease the transition from school to work. The contrat de qualification (CQ) combined work and training for young workers during a 6 month to 2 year period. The contrat d'adaptation (CA) was aimed at facilitating the hiring of young workers by adapting existing skills to the work setting. Under this scheme, individuals worked for a maximum 6 month period while receiving at least 200 hours of training. The stages d'initiation a La vie professionnelle (SIVP) provided school leavers with an initiation into work life to enable them to sample and then choose a career. The pre-training stages lasted for three to six months, with the worker receiving at least twenty - five hours of training a month. Participation in this scheme could lead to a CQ or CA.

Under a law of August 1985 governing leave for training, retraining and reemployment, employers undertake to offer such leave to a specific number of wage earners whose redundancy would have been authorized; during this period the workers concerned will be able to benefit from a number of activities organized to help them find new jobs. A law of January 1985 widened the scope of certain social provisions, including the encouragement of training work experience schemes for young people by setting up introductory apprenticeships and extending the fifth week of annual paid holiday to nursery school assistants. A law of July 1985, while increasing the number of cases in which a firm could use temporary workers and relaxing conditions regarding the duration of certain types of contracts, also introduced changes in the rules relating to the duration of probation periods and made it harder to re-employ temporary workers in the same job before a waiting period has expired, etc.

The way in which the occupational health services are organized was modified by two decrees issued in March 1986. The first established regional occupational health committees while the second made important changes to the regulations. A Decree of March 1986 laid down conditions for the approval of organizations conducting atmospheric monitoring and made a French standard on such work compulsory, while a Decree of March 1986 on the information and test results to be provided under the Labor Code introduced in France the European Community testing methods for analyzing dangerous substances as well as the OECD "codes of practice" governing the procedures to be followed when conducting these tests.

During the early Eighties, the Socialists introduced the "congé de conversion" ("conversion leave"), which received widespread publicity in 1984 when redundancy measures were introduced for the shipbuilding and steel industries. These combined the traditional tool of early retirement for redundant workers over the age of fifty with a "conversion leave" for others. These leaves suspended (but did not break) the work contract for a period of up to two years, and during this time the individual received 70% of their previous wage together with retraining in a new occupation. After the retraining was over, workers were promised two job offers. In 1985, the Fabius Government universalized the congé. The revamped congé de conversion offered redundant workers offered redundant workers 65% of their previous salary (in line with the benefits for early retirement and unemployment compensation) and a training period of 4–10 months. Between 1985 and 1987, however, only 15,000 workers had taken advantage of the congés, and only one - third succeeded in their "conversion." A year earlier, in 1984, the Fabius government established the travaux d'utilite collective (TUC) program to prepare school leavers for professional life. This scheme offered unemployed youth between the ages of 16 and 21 sixteen (extended to 25 in 1985) the opportunity to work half time in a public sector job.

Improvements were also made to the system of benefits for the long term unemployed whose rights to unemployment insurance had expired. Subject to certain conditions regarding previous activity and resources, the daily solidarity allowance paid to them was raised from FF 42 to FF.64.50 on 1 April. This could be as high as FF 86 per day for unemployed persons aged 55 and over who could give proof of 20 years' paid employment, while unemployed persons aged 57 1/2 had to give proof of only ten paid employment to obtain this allowance and are not required to look for a job. A law of July 1985 amended the articles of the Code de Travail (Labor Code) to bring them into line with EEC Directive 79/781/EEC on the classification, packaging and labeling of dangerous substances. A decree of January 1985 laid down a list of work for which the employees of temporary labor agencies may not be employed, the work in question involving exposure to certain toxic agents and special risks for temporary workers for whom it is difficult to provide medical supervision. A decree of April 1985 laid down technical instructions to be observed by occupational physicians responsible for medical checks on employees exposed to substances which may cause malignant damage to the bladder. The scope of a decree of October 1983, which laid down a list of and the conditions for the labeling and packaging of paints, varnishes, printing inks, adhesives and similar products was extended by a decree of July 1985 to include enameling preparations. A circular of May 1985 on the prevention of occupational cancers specified the roles of the employer, the trade unions and the occupational physician in preventing this hazard, the effects of which may appear only long after exposure to the agents in question.

A law of January 1986 contained a number of changes regarding workers' right to express their views. The obligation to negotiate agreements on the way in which this right is exercised, which used to be limited to firms employing at least 200 workers, was extended to all businesses where trade unions had established one or more sections and appointed a shop steward. The obligation to negotiate did not, however, apply to firms without trade union representations and with less than 50 workers, even if a staff representative had been appointed as trade union delegate. A law of February 1986 amending the labor code included various changes, e.g., to ensure that wage earners received a stable income, independent of fluctuations in weekly working hours. A decree on the protection of workers exposed to benzene was issued on February 1986 with the purpose of simplifying and updating the relevant regulations, most of which dated back to 1939. A decree was issued in March 1986 which amended certain provisions in the Labor Code concerning substances and preparations hazardous to workers, thus transferring into national law the provisions of the Council Directive 79/831/EEC amending for the sixth time Directive 67/548/EEC on the classification, packaging and labeling of dangerous substances. The procedures for forwarding documents concerning inspections and verifications for health and safety purposes were laid down in a decree dated 13 March 1986. A further decree, issued that same year, laid down the health and safety requirements to be met by mobile agricultural and forestry machinery, while a further decree issued on the same date related to the protection of workers exposed to methyl bromide. A decree of January 1986 covers the flooring of fixed scaffolding while a decree of March 1986 laid down the health and safety requirements to be met by mobile agricultural and forestry machinery. A circular of January 1986 on the labeling and packaging of chemical products for industrial use defined the scope of the 1983 decrees on the labeling of chemical products and contained a "guide to EEC packaging". Following a number of accidents involving pyralene transformers, a circular of March 1986 on the hazards associated with pyralene and its decomposition products sets out, for the inspection officers involved, the risks associated with such products, the sectors most at risk, the elementary precautions to be taken, and the regulations to be applied.

Despite the Fabius Government's achievements in social policy, it was unable to prevent a rise in social inequality during its time in office, a situation arguably exacerbated by austerity measures introduced by the government. Although the rate of inflation fell, unemployment continued to increase, standing at 11% in early 1986, compared with 8% in 1983. Concern over rising inequality in France was expressed in the publication of a number of books on both "the new poverty" and "social exclusion," which had become major public preoccupations. As a result of a decline in unemployment insurance coverage, those who had no benefit had to fall back on local charity and local assistance. This led to cases of some supermarkets providing free food parcels for unemployed persons. In 1985, the Fabius Government increased the wealth tax to provide subsidies for organizations providing basic services such as hot meals, agreed to make empty housing and surplus food stocks available, and decided to provide a basic allowance of 40 francs per day for some of the unemployed over the age of 50 who had been left out of the benefit scheme.

The Fabius Government's inability to prevent both rising unemployment and inequality arguably contributed to the defeat of the French Socialists in the 1986 legislative election, which led Fabius to step down as prime minister.

The symbol of a "modern" French socialism, he was weakened by the "Infected blood scandal". His government was accused of having knowingly let doctors give hemophiliacs transfusions of blood infected by HIV. A judicial process similar to impeachment acquitted him of all personal moral responsibility in the matter.

After the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace ship, on 10 July 1985, Prime Minister Fabius summoned journalists to his office on 22 September 1985 to read a 200 word statement in which he said: "The truth is cruel," and acknowledged that "Agents of the French secret service sank this boat. They were acting on orders." He had previously denied that the bombers of the Rainbow Warrior were in the employ of the French secret service.

Fabius 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.

Fabius was a candidate in the Socialist Party's primary 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.

On 17 May 2012, Laurent Fabius became foreign minister in the government of Jean - Marc Ayrault, appointed prime minister by President François Hollande. His mandate had three milestones :

• he didn't want to negotiate with President Assad to defeat what became ISIL,
• he supported Syrian rebel groups, and
• he reckoned that "Al-Nosra was doing a good job".

As foreign minister, Fabius was also chair of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference which took place in Paris. His way of engaging with all delegates to achieve a successful agreement has been described as crucial, and something that will make him "go down in history as one of the great diplomats".

Fabius was chosen by President François Hollande to succeed to Jean - Louis Debré as President of the Constitutional Council. The change became effective on 8 March 2016.

He has declared over $7.9 million of assets, including a flat in Paris worth €2.7m and two country houses in Normandy and the Ariège. He has three children and was married to Françoise Castro from 1981 – 2002.