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List of Prime Ministers of France 

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Contents

Early Modern France

Chief Ministers of the French Kings

Louis XIV ruled without a chief minister after Mazarin's death. After Louis' death, his nephew Philip II, Duke of Orléans, regent for Louis XV, directed the government in person before he appointed a prime minister in 1718.

With Fleury's death, Louis XV, like his great-grandfather, announced that he was taking control of policy into his own hands. Later in his reign, he would once again appoint ministers to direct affairs on his behalf, a practice which would continue under his successor:

First French Republic (1792-1804)

During the First French Republic periods the arrangements for the direction of the government of France changed frequently and there was no office of Prime Minister. See the relevant article for details.

First French Empire (1804-1815)

During the First French Empire periods the arrangements for the direction of the government of France changed frequently and there was no office of Prime Minister. See the relevant article for details.

Bourbon Restoration (1815-1830)

Presidents of the Council of Ministers

Name Term start Term end Political Party
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord,
Prince de Benevente		 9 July 1815 26 September 1815
Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu (1st time) 26 September 1815 29 December 1818
Jean-Joseph, Marquis Dessolles 29 December 1818 19 November 1819
Élie, Comte Decazes 19 November 1819 20 February 1820 Constitutionnals
Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu (2nd time) 20 February 1820 14 December 1821
Jean-Baptiste de Villèle 14 December 1821 4 January 1828 Ultra-Royalists
Jean-Baptiste Gaye, Vicomte de Martignac 4 January 1828 8 August 1829 Ultra-Royalists
Jules, Prince de Polignac 8 August 1829 29 July 1830 Ultra-Royalists

July Monarchy (1830-1848)

Presidents of the Council of Ministers

Name Term start Term end Political Party
Position vacant 29 July 1830 13 August 1830
Victor, duc de Broglie (1st time) 13 August 1830 2 November 1830 Parti de l'Ordre (Orléanist) = centre
Jacques Laffitte 2 November 1830 13 March 1831 Parti du Mouvement (Parliamentary monarchist, Orleanist) = centre-left
Casimir Pierre Perier 13 March 1831 16 May 1832 Parti de la Résistance (conservative Orléanist) = centre-right
Position vacant 16 May 1832 11 October 1832
Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, Duc de Dalmatie (1st time) 11 October 1832 18 July 1834
Etienne-Maurice, Comte Gérard 18 July 1834 10 November 1834
Hugues Maret, Duc de Bassano 10 November 1834 18 November 1834
Edouard Mortier, Duc de Treviso 18 November 1834 12 March 1835
Victor, duc de Broglie (2nd time) 12 March 1835 22 February 1836 Parti de l'Ordre (Orléanist) = centre
Adolphe Thiers (1st time) 22 February 1836 6 September 1836 Parti du Mouvement (Parliamentary monarchist, Orleanist) = centre-left
Louis, Comte Molé (1st time) 6 September 1836 31 March 1839 Parti de la Résistance (conservative Orléanist) = centre-right
Position vacant 31 March 1839 12 May 1839
Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, Duc de Dalmatie (2nd time) 12 May 1839 1 March 1840
Adolphe Thiers (2nd time) 1 March 1840 29 October 1840 Parti du Mouvement (Parliamentary monarchist, Orleanist) = centre-left
Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, Duc de Dalmatie (3rd time) 29 October 1840 19 September 1847
François Guizot 19 September 1847 23 February 1848 Parti de l'Ordre (Orléanist) = centre
Louis, Comte Molé (2nd time) 23 February 1848 24 February 1848 Parti de la Résistance (conservative Orléanist) = centre-right

Second French Republic (1848-1852)

Presidents of the Council of Ministers

Name Term start Term end Political Party
Jacques-Charles Dupont de l'Eure 24 February 1848 9 May 1848 Republicans
François Arago 10 May 1848 24 June 1848 Republicans
Louis-Eugène Cavaignac 28 June 1848 20 December 1848 Republicans
Odilon Barrot 20 December 1848 31 October 1849 Order Party
Alphonse Henri, comte d'Hautpoul 31 October 1849 10 April 1851
Léon Faucher 10 April 1851 26 October 1851
Position vacant 26 October 1851 2 December 1852

Second French Empire (1852-1870)

Cabinet Chiefs

Name Term start Term end Political Party
Position vacant 2 December 1852 27 December 1869
Émile Ollivier 27 December 1869 9 August 1870
Charles Cousin-Montauban,
Comte de Palikao		 9 August 1870 4 September 1870

Third French Republic (1870-1940)

President of the Government of National Defense

Name Term start Term end Political Party
Louis Jules Trochu 4 September 1870 18 January 1871 Military

Presidents of the Council of Ministers

Name Term start Term end Political Party
Jules Dufaure (1st time) 19 February 1871 24 May 1873 Parliamentary Monarchist
Albert, duc de Broglie (1st time) 25 May 1873 22 May 1874 Monarchist
Ernest Courtot de Cissey 22 May 1874 10 March 1875 Conservative
Louis Buffet 10 March 1875 23 February 1876 Monarchist
Jules Dufaure (2nd time) 23 February 1876 12 December 1876 Parliamentary Monarchist
Jules Simon 12 December 1876 17 May 1877 Moderate Republican
Albert, duc de Broglie (2nd time) 17 May 1877 23 November 1877 Monarchist
Gaëtan de Rochebouët 23 November 1877 13 December 1877 Military
Jules Dufaure (3rd time) 13 December 1877 4 February 1879 Parliamentary Monarchist
William Waddington 4 February 1879 28 December 1879 Conservative Republican
Charles de Freycinet (1st time) 28 December 1879 23 September 1880 Opportunist Republican
Jules Ferry (1st time) 23 September 1880 14 November 1881 Left Republican
Léon Gambetta 14 November 1881 30 January 1882 Opportunist Republican
Charles de Freycinet (2nd time) 30 January 1882 7 August 1882 Opportunist Republican
Charles Duclerc 7 August 1882 29 January 1883 Left Republican
Armand Fallières 29 January 1883 21 February 1883 Radical Party
Jules Ferry (2nd time) 21 February 1883 6 April 1885 Left Republican
Henri Brisson (1st time) 6 April 1885 7 January 1886 Radical Socialist Party
Charles de Freycinet (3rd time) 7 January 1886 16 December 1886 Opportunist Republican
René Goblet 16 December 1886 30 May 1887 Radical Party
Maurice Rouvier (1st time) 30 May 1887 12 December 1887 Opportunist Republican
Pierre Tirard (1st time) 12 December 1887 3 April 1888 Left Republican
Charles Floquet 3 April 1888 22 February 1889 Radical Party
Pierre Tirard (2nd time) 22 February 1889 17 March 1890 Left Republican
Charles de Freycinet (4th time) 17 March 1890 27 February 1892 Opportunist Republican
Émile Loubet 27 February 1892 6 December 1892 Left Republican
Alexandre Ribot (1st time) 6 December 1892 4 April 1893 Moderate Republican
Charles Dupuy (1st time) 4 April 1893 3 December 1893 Left Republican
Jean Casimir-Perier 3 December 1893 30 May 1894 Left Republican
Charles Dupuy (2nd time) 30 May 1894 26 January 1895 Left Republican
Alexandre Ribot (2nd time) 26 January 1895 1 November 1895 Moderate Republican
Léon Bourgeois 1 November 1895 29 April 1896 Radical Party
Jules Méline 29 April 1896 28 June 1898 Moderate Republican
Henri Brisson (2nd time) 28 June 1898 1 November 1898 Radical Party
Charles Dupuy (3rd time) 1 November 1898 22 June 1899 Left Republican
René Waldeck-Rousseau 22 June 1899 7 June 1902 Republican Union
Émile Combes 7 June 1902 24 January 1905 Radical Party
Maurice Rouvier (2nd time) 24 January 1905 12 March 1906 Opportunist Republican
Ferdinand Sarrien 12 March 1906 25 October 1906 Radical Party
Georges Clemenceau (1st time) 25 October 1906 24 July 1909 Radical Party
Aristide Briand (1st time) 24 July 1909 2 March 1911 French Section of the Workers' International
Ernest Monis 2 March 1911 27 June 1911 Radical Socialist Party
Joseph Caillaux 27 June 1911 21 January 1912 Radical Party
Raymond Poincaré (1st time) 21 January 1912 21 January 1913 Progressive Republican Party
Aristide Briand (2nd time) 21 January 1913 22 March 1913 French Section of the Workers' International
Louis Barthou 22 March 1913 9 December 1913 Left Republican
Gaston Doumergue (1st time) 9 December 1913 9 June 1914 Radical Socialist Party
Alexandre Ribot (3rd time) 9 June 1914 13 June 1914 Moderate Republican
René Viviani 13 June 1914 29 October 1915 Republican Socialist Party
Aristide Briand (3rd time) 29 October 1915 20 March 1917 Republican Socialist Party
Alexandre Ribot (4th time) 20 March 1917 12 September 1917 Moderate Republican
Paul Painlevé (1st time) 12 September 1917 16 November 1917 Republican Socialist Party
Georges Clemenceau (2nd time) 16 November 1917 20 January 1920 Radical Party
Alexandre Millerand 20 January 1920 24 September 1920 Republican Socialist Party
Georges Leygues 24 September 1920 16 January 1921 Left Republican
Aristide Briand (4th time) 16 January 1921 15 January 1922 Republican Socialist Party
Raymond Poincaré (2nd time) 15 January 1922 8 June 1924 Progressive Republican Party
Frédéric François-Marsal 8 June 1924 15 June 1924 National Republican Party
Édouard Herriot (1st time) 15 June 1924 17 April 1925 Radical Party
Paul Painlevé (2nd time) 17 April 1925 28 November 1925 Republican Socialist Party
Aristide Briand (5th time) 28 November 1925 20 July 1926 Republican Socialist Party
Édouard Herriot (2nd time) 20 July 1926 23 July 1926 Radical Party
Raymond Poincaré (3rd time) 23 July 1926 29 July 1929 Progressive Republican Party
Aristide Briand (6th time) 29 July 1929 2 November 1929 Republican Socialist Party
André Tardieu (1st time) 2 November 1929 21 February 1930 Left Republican
Camille Chautemps (1st time) 21 February 1930 2 March 1930 Radical Socialist Party
André Tardieu (2nd time) 2 March 1930 13 December 1930 Left Republican
Théodore Steeg 13 December 1930 27 January 1931 Radical Socialist Party
Pierre Laval (1st time) 27 January 1931 20 February 1932 National Block
André Tardieu (3rd time) 20 February 1932 3 June 1932 Left Republican
Édouard Herriot (3rd time) 3 June 1932 18 December 1932 Radical Party
Joseph Paul-Boncour 18 December 1932 31 January 1933 French Section of the Workers' International
Édouard Daladier (1st time) 31 January 1933 26 October 1933 Radical Socialist Party
Albert Sarraut (1st time) 26 October 1933 26 November 1933 Radical Socialist Party
Camille Chautemps (2nd time) 26 November 1933 30 January 1934 Radical Socialist Party
Édouard Daladier (2nd time) 30 January 1934 9 February 1934 Radical Socialist Party
Gaston Doumergue (2nd time) 9 February 1934 8 November 1934 Radical Socialist Party
Pierre Étienne Flandin 8 November 1934 1 June 1935 Democratic Republican Alliance
Fernand Bouisson 1 June 1935 7 June 1935 Independent Socialist
Pierre Laval (2nd time) 7 June 1935 24 January 1936 National Block
Albert Sarraut (2nd time) 24 January 1936 4 June 1936 Radical Socialist Party
Léon Blum (1st time) 4 June 1936 22 June 1937 French Section of the Workers' International/Popular Front
Camille Chautemps (3rd time) 22 June 1937 13 March 1938 Radical Socialist Party/Popular Front
Léon Blum (2nd time) 13 March 1938 10 April 1938 French Section of the Workers' International/Popular Front
Édouard Daladier (3rd time) 10 April 1938 21 March 1940 Radical Socialist Party
Paul Reynaud 21 March 1940 16 June 1940 Democratic Republican Alliance
Philippe Pétain 16 June 1940 11 July 1940 Military

French State (1940-1944)

Presidents of the Council of Ministers

Name Term start Term end Political Party
Philippe Pétain 11 July 1940 18 April 1942
Pierre Laval (3rd time) 18 April 1942 17 August 1944

As Pétain was both Head of State and nominal Head of Government, the de facto Head of Government of Vichy France, between 1940 and 1942, was known as Vice-President of the Council. Pierre Laval was Vice-President of the Council (11 July 1940 – 13 December 1940), followed by Pierre-Étienne Flandin (13 December 1940 – 9 February 1941) and François Darlan (9 February 1941 – 18 April 1942). The post of Vice-President was abolished in 1942 when Laval returned to power, and assumed the nominal position of President of the Council.

Provisional Government of the French Republic (1944-1947)

Chairmen of the Provisional Government

Name Term start Term end Political Party
Charles de Gaulle 3 June 1944 26 January 1946 Non-party
Félix Gouin 26 January 1946 24 June 1946 French Section of the Workers' International
Georges Bidault 24 June 1946 28 November 1946 Popular Republican Movement
Vincent Auriol (interim) 28 November 1946 16 December 1946 French Section of the Workers' International
Léon Blum 16 December 1946 16 January 1947 French Section of the Workers' International

Fourth French Republic (1947-1958)

Presidents of the Council of Ministers

Name Term start Term end Political Party
Paul Ramadier 22 January 1947 24 November 1947 French Section of the Workers' International
Robert Schuman (1st time) 24 November 1947 24 July 1948 Popular Republican Movement
André Marie 24 July 1948 2 September 1948 Radical Socialist Party
Robert Schuman (2nd time) 2 September 1948 11 September 1948 Popular Republican Movement
Henri Queuille (1st time) 11 September 1948 28 October 1949 Radical Socialist Party
Georges Bidault 28 October 1949 2 July 1950 Popular Republican Movement
Henri Queuille (2nd time) 2 July 1950 12 July 1950 Radical Socialist Party
René Pleven (1st time) 12 July 1950 10 March 1951 Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance
Henri Queuille (3rd time) 10 March 1951 11 August 1951 Radical Socialist Party
René Pleven (2nd time) 11 August 1951 20 January 1952 Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance
Edgar Faure (1st time) 20 January 1952 8 March 1952 Radical Socialist Party
Antoine Pinay 8 March 1952 8 January 1953 National Centre of Independents and Peasants
René Mayer 8 January 1953 28 June 1953 Radical Party
Joseph Laniel 28 June 1953 19 June 1954 National Centre of Independents and Peasants
Pierre Mendès-France 19 June 1954 17 February 1955 Radical Socialist Party
Christian Pineau (acting) 17 February 1955 23 February 1955 French Section of the Workers International
Edgar Faure (2nd time) 23 February 1955 1 February 1956 Radical Socialist Party
Guy Mollet 1 February 1956 13 June 1957 French Section of the Workers' International
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury 13 June 1957 6 November 1957 Radical Socialist Party
Félix Gaillard 6 November 1957 14 May 1958 Radical Socialist Party
Pierre Pflimlin 14 May 1958 1 June 1958 Popular Republican Movement
Charles de Gaulle 1 June 1958 8 January 1959 Union for the New Republic

Fifth French Republic (1958-Present)

This was the first time when the term Prime Minister was used, rather than President of the Council of Ministers, reflecting the new power-sharing with the President of the Republic, who had before then been only head of state but not head of government.

Prime Ministers

Name Term start Term end Political Party
Michel Debré 8 January 1959 14 April 1962 Union for the New Republic
Georges Pompidou 14 April 1962 10 July 1968 Union for the New Republic
Maurice Couve de Murville 10 July 1968 20 June 1969 Union of Democrats for the Republic
Jacques Chaban-Delmas 20 June 1969 5 April 1973 Union of Democrats for the Republic
Pierre Messmer 5 April 1973 27 May 1974 Union of Democrats for the Republic
Jacques Chirac (1st time) 27 May 1974 26 August 1976 Union of Democrats for the Republic
Raymond Barre 26 August 1976 21 May 1981 Union for French Democracy
Pierre Mauroy 21 May 1981 17 July 1984 Socialist Party
Laurent Fabius 17 July 1984 20 March 1986 Socialist Party
Jacques Chirac (2nd time) 20 March 1986 10 May 1988 Rally for the Republic
Michel Rocard 10 May 1988 15 May 1991 Socialist Party
Édith Cresson 15 May 1991 2 April 1992 Socialist Party
Pierre Bérégovoy 2 April 1992 29 March 1993 Socialist Party
Édouard Balladur 29 March 1993 18 May 1995 Rally for the Republic
Alain Juppé 18 May 1995 3 June 1997 Rally for the Republic
Lionel Jospin 3 June 1997 6 May 2002 Socialist Party
Jean-Pierre Raffarin 6 May 2002 31 May 2005 Union for a Popular Movement
Dominique de Villepin 31 May 2005 17 May 2007 Union for a Popular Movement
François Fillon 17 May 2007 Incumbent Union for a Popular Movement

See also

External links
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