PS

   Parti Socialiste

   the French socialist party, formed betwen 1969 and 1971, from the fusion of existing non-communist left-wing parties in France. Since the seventies, and the fading of the Communist Party, the PS has been the principal party of the left in France, and has formed a number of governments, the most recent of which was the Jospin Government, from 2002 to 2007. One of the founding members of the party was François Mitterrand, who was President of France from 1981 to 1995. The current first Secretary is MartineAubry. See Political Parties in France