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FABIUS, LAURENT (1946– ), French politician – the youngest
premier in the history of the Republic. Fabius was born
in France to a Jewish family which converted to Catholicism
during World War II. After completing his studies in political
science and humanities, he became active in the Socialist
party. In 1978 he was elected deputé to the French Assembly.
When François Mitterrand was elected president of the Republic
in 1981, Fabius joined the government, first as minis-
Historiated initial letter “F” of the word
Fratribus at the beginning of II Maccabees
in a 12th-century manuscript
from France. It illustrates the sending of
the letter from the Jews of Jerusalem to
their brethren in Egypt calling on them
to observe the feast of Ḥannukah. Bordeaux,
Bibliothèque Municipale, Ms. 21,
fol. 256v. Fa–Feu
ter in charge of the budget (1981–83) and then as minister for
industry and research (1983–84). In 1984, with the collapse of
the alliance between the Socialists and the Communists and
the generally poor showing of the government in the public
opinion polls, Mitterrand called in Fabius, as a representative
of the new technocratic trend in the Socialist party, to lead the
new government. With the appointment of the young, articulate
politician, polls took an upswing. “Modernization and
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 6 665