Chairman of the Council of Ministers (France)

Last updated
President of the Council
Aristide Briand 06.jpg
Aristide Briand, President of the Council eleven times between 1909 and 1929.
Residence Hôtel Matignon
(from 1934)
Formation9 July 1815 (1815-07-09)
First holder Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
Final holder Charles de Gaulle
Abolished8 January 1959 (1959-01-08)
Deputy List of prime ministers of France

In France, the President of the Council, officially President of the Council of Ministers, was the head of government under several political regimes of the 19th and 20th centuries. Since the establishment of the Fifth Republic, the role of head of government has been fulfilled by the Prime Minister (Article 21 of the Constitution of 4 October 1958). [1]

Contents

History

This title was first held by Talleyrand in 1815 during the Restoration. Constitutionally, it is the King who presides over the Council of Ministers: the minister "President of the Council" replaces him when necessary. In practice, he already played a leading role, as Louis XVIII declared in a letter to Decazes in 1821: [2]

It is not the King who is the keystone. It is the President of the Council.

The record for longevity in this position (9 years, 3 months, and 17 days  – of which 6 years, 10 months, and 20 days were continuous) is held by Jean-de-Dieu Soult, who headed the government three times under the July Monarchy. [3]

The first President of the Council of the Third Republic was Jules Dufaure in 1876. From 1871 to 1876, the head of government held the title of Vice-President of the Council, with the Council presided over by the President of the Republic (Adolphe Thiers, then Marshal Mac Mahon). [3] The legislative elections of 1876 led to a political crisis between the government and the President of the Republic. The position of President of the Council was then created. [3] It was not official, as the constitutional laws of the Third Republic granted all executive power to the President of the Republic. Curiously, it was the latter who continued to preside over the Council of Ministers held at the Élysée Palace, while another government member held the title of "President of the Council of Ministers" and guided the discussions. Until 1934, the President of the Council had to combine government leadership with another ministerial portfolio, as, being the "unofficial" head of government, he had neither offices nor staff. The President of the Council presented to the President of the Republic a list of ministers from parties that formed a coalition for the occasion (the program was rather brief). [3] This coalition remained fragile, vulnerable to the defection of one of its components over a specific aspect of government policy. The ministry then appeared before the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, which voted to grant it confidence. The Constitution of 1946 formalized the creation of a President of the Council vested with executive power but still specified that "the President of the Republic presides over the Council of Ministers." The Constitution of 1958 clearly expressed the primacy of the President of the Republic by assigning the title of Prime Minister to the head of government and reserving the presidency of the Council of Ministers to the President of the Republic. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Under the Vichy regime, the head of government was called Vice-President of the Council and later simply Head of Government, with the presidency of the Council of Ministers held by the head of state. [3] [6]

The title of Vice-President of the Council was again given from 1926 to 1958 to certain prominent ministers. [3] [5] [6]

List of Chairmen of the Council in France

PresidentGovernment termStartEndDuration
Restoration (1815–1830)
Louis XVIII and Charles X, Kings of France
Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord 1st term 9 July 181526 September 181579 days
Armand-Emmanuel, Duke of Richelieu 1st term 26 September 181529 December 18181190 days
Jean-Joseph, Marquis Dessolles 1st term 29 December 181819 November 1819325 days
Élie, Duke Decazes 1st term 19 November 181920 February 182093 days
Armand-Emmanuel, Duke of Richelieu 2nd term 20 February 182014 December 1821663 days
Joseph, Count de Villèle 1st term 14 December 18214 January 18282212 days
Jean-Baptiste, Viscount of Martignac 1st term 4 January 18288 August 1829582 days
Jules, Count de Polignac 1st term 8 August 182928 July 1830354 days
Casimir-Louis-Victurnien, Duke de Mortemart 1st term 29 July 183030 July 18301 days
July Monarchy (1830–1848)
Louis-Philippe I, King of the French
Jacques Laffitte 1st term 2 November 183013 March 1831131 days
Casimir Perier 1st term  [ fr ]13 March 183116 May 1832430 days
Jean-de-Dieu Soult, Duke of Dalmatia 1st term 11 October 183218 July 1834645 days
Étienne Maurice, Count Gérard 1st term 18 July 183410 November 1834115 days
Hugues-Bernard Maret, Duke of Bassano 1st term 10 November 183418 November 18348 days
Édouard Mortier, Duke of Treviso 1st term 18 November 183412 March 1835114 days
Achille-Charles-Victor, Duke de Broglie 1st term 12 March 183522 February 1836347 days
Adolphe Thiers 1st term 22 February 18366 September 1836197 days
Louis, Count Molé 1st term and 2nd term 6 September 183631 March 1839936 days
Jean-de-Dieu Soult, Duke of Dalmatia 2nd term 12 May 18391 March 1840294 days
Adolphe Thiers 2nd term 1 March 184029 October 1840242 days
Jean-de-Dieu Soult, Duke of Dalmatia 3rd term 29 October 184018 September 18472515 days
François Guizot 1st term 18 September 184724 February 1848159 days
Louis, Count Molé Aborted24 February 184824 February 18480 days
Adolphe Thiers Aborted24 February 184824 February 18480 days
Second Republic (24 February 1848 – 2 December 1852)
Provisional Government of 1848
Jacques Charles Dupont de l'Eure 1st term 24 February 18489 May 184875 days
Constituent Assembly
Louis Eugène Cavaignac 1st term 28 June 184820 December 1848175 days
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, President from 20 December 1848 to 2 December 1852
Odilon Barrot 1st term and 2nd term 20 December 184831 October 1849315 days
Alphonse Henri d'Hautpoul (de facto) 1st term 31 October 184924 January 1851450 days
Léon Faucher (de facto) 1st term 10 April 185126 October 1851199 days
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (de facto) Last cabinet 26 October 18512 December 185137 days
Third Republic (4 September 1870 – 10 July 1940)
Adolphe Thiers, President from 31 August 1871 to 24 May 1873
Jules Dufaure (Vice-President of the Council) 1st term 19 February 187118 May 1873819 days
Jules Dufaure (Vice-President of the Council) 2nd term 18 May 187324 May 18736 days
Marshal Mac Mahon, President from 24 May 1873 to 30 January 1879
Albert de Broglie, Duke de Broglie (Vice-President of the Council) 1st term 24 May 187324 November 1873184 days
Albert de Broglie, Duke de Broglie (Vice-President of the Council) 2nd term 26 November 187318 May 1874173 days
Ernest Courtot de Cissey (Vice-President of the Council) 1st term  [ fr ]22 May 187410 March 1875292 days
Louis Buffet (Vice-President of the Council) 1st term  [ fr ]10 March 187523 February 1876350 days
Jules Dufaure (Vice-President of the Council) 3rd term  [ fr ]23 February 18769 March 187615 days
Jules Dufaure (1stPresident of the Council) 4th term  [ fr ]9 March 18762 December 1876268 days
Jules Simon 1st term  [ fr ]12 December 187616 May 1877155 days
Albert de Broglie, Duke de Broglie 3rd term  [ fr ]17 May 187719 November 1877186 days
Gaëtan de Rochebouët 1st term  [ fr ]23 November 187724 November 18771 days
Jules Dufaure 4th term  [ fr ]13 December 187730 January 1879413 days
Jules Grévy, President from 30 January 1879 to 2 December 1887
William Waddington 1st term  [ fr ]4 February 187921 December 1879320 days
Charles de Freycinet 1st term  [ fr ]28 December 187919 September 1880266 days
Jules Ferry 1st term  [ fr ]23 September 188010 November 1881413 days
Léon Gambetta 1st term  [ fr ]14 November 188126 January 188273 days
Charles de Freycinet 2nd term  [ fr ]30 January 188229 July 1882180 days
Charles Duclerc 1st term  [ fr ]7 August 188228 January 1883174 days
Armand Fallières 1st term  [ fr ]29 January 188317 February 188319 days
Jules Ferry 2nd term  [ fr ]21 February 188330 March 1885768 days
Henri Brisson 1st term  [ fr ]6 April 188529 December 1885267 days
Charles de Freycinet 3rd term  [ fr ]7 January 18863 December 1886330 days
René Goblet 1st term  [ fr ]11 December 188617 May 1887157 days
Maurice Rouvier 1st term  [ fr ]30 May 18874 December 1887188 days
Sadi Carnot, President from 3 December 1887 to 25 June 1894, assassinated
Pierre Tirard 1st term  [ fr ]11 December 188730 March 1888110 days
Charles Floquet 1st term  [ fr ]3 April 188814 February 1889317 days
Pierre Tirard 2nd term  [ fr ]22 February 188913 March 1890384 days
Charles de Freycinet 4th term  [ fr ]17 March 189018 February 1892703 days
Émile Loubet 1st term  [ fr ]27 February 189228 November 1892275 days
Alexandre Ribot 1st term  [ fr ]6 December 189210 January 189335 days
Alexandre Ribot 2nd term  [ fr ]11 January 189330 March 189378 days
Charles Dupuy 1st term  [ fr ]4 April 189323 November 1893233 days
Jean Casimir-Perier 1st term  [ fr ]3 December 189322 May 1894170 days
Charles Dupuy 2nd term  [ fr ]30 May 189425 June 189426 days
Jean Casimir-Perier, President from 27 June 1894 to 16 January 1895
Charles Dupuy 3rd term  [ fr ]1 July 189415 January 1895198 days
Félix Faure, President from 17 January 1895 to 16 February 1899
Alexandre Ribot 3rd term  [ fr ]26 January 189528 October 1895275 days
Léon Bourgeois 1st term  [ fr ]1 November 189523 April 1896174 days
Jules Méline 1st term  [ fr ]28 April 189628 June 1898791 days
Henri Brisson 2nd term  [ fr ]28 June 189826 October 1898120 days
Charles Dupuy 4th term  [ fr ]1 November 189818 February 1899109 days
Émile Loubet, President from 18 February 1899 to 18 February 1906
Charles Dupuy 5th term  [ fr ]18 February 189912 June 1899114 days
Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau 1st term  [ fr ]22 June 18993 June 19021076 days
Émile Combes 1st term  [ fr ]7 June 19021 January 1905939 days
Maurice Rouvier 2nd term  [ fr ]24 January 190518 February 1906390 days
Armand Fallières, President from 18 February 1906 to 18 February 1913
Maurice Rouvier 3rd term  [ fr ]18 February 19067 March 190617 days
Ferdinand Sarrien 1st term  [ fr ]14 March 190620 October 1906220 days
Georges Clemenceau 1st term  [ fr ]25 October 190620 July 1909999 days
Aristide Briand 1st term  [ fr ]24 July 19092 November 1910466 days
Aristide Briand 2nd term  [ fr ]4 November 191027 February 1911115 days
Ernest Monis 1st term  [ fr ]2 March 191123 June 1911113 days
Joseph Caillaux 1st term  [ fr ]27 June 191111 January 1912198 days
Raymond Poincaré 1st term  [ fr ]14 January 191221 January 1913373 days
Aristide Briand 3rd term  [ fr ]21 January 191318 February 191328 days
Raymond Poincaré, President from 18 February 1913 to 18 February 1920
Aristide Briand 4th term  [ fr ]18 February 191318 March 191328 days
Louis Barthou 1st term  [ fr ]22 March 19132 December 1913255 days
Gaston Doumergue 1st term  [ fr ]9 December 19132 June 1914175 days
Alexandre Ribot 4th term  [ fr ]9 June 191412 June 19143 days
René Viviani 1st term  [ fr ]13 June 191426 July 191443 days
René Viviani 2nd term  [ fr ]26 July 191429 October 1915460 days
Aristide Briand 5th term  [ fr ]29 October 191512 December 1916410 days
Aristide Briand 6th term  [ fr ]12 December 191617 March 191795 days
Alexandre Ribot 5th term  [ fr ]20 March 19177 September 1917171 days
Paul Painlevé 1st term  [ fr ]12 September 191713 November 191762 days
Georges Clemenceau 2nd term  [ fr ]16 November 191718 January 1920793 days
Alexandre Millerand 2nd term  [ fr ]20 January 192018 February 192029 days
Paul Deschanel, President from 18 February 1920 to 21 September 1920
Alexandre Millerand 2nd term  [ fr ]18 February 192023 September 1920218 days
Alexandre Millerand, President from 23 September 1920 to 11 June 1924
Georges Leygues 1st term  [ fr ]24 September 192012 January 1921110 days
Aristide Briand 7th term  [ fr ]16 January 192112 January 1922361 days
Raymond Poincaré 2nd term  [ fr ]15 January 192229 March 1924804 days
Raymond Poincaré 3rd term  [ fr ]29 March 19241 June 192464 days
Frédéric François-Marsal 1st term  [ fr ]8 June 192410 June 19242 days
Gaston Doumergue, President from 13 June 1924 to 13 June 1931
Édouard Herriot 1st term  [ fr ]14 June 192410 April 1925300 days
Paul Painlevé 2nd term  [ fr ]17 April 192527 October 1925193 days
Paul Painlevé 3rd term  [ fr ]29 October 192522 November 192524 days
Aristide Briand 8th term  [ fr ]28 November 19256 March 192698 days
Aristide Briand 9th term  [ fr ]9 March 192615 June 192698 days
Aristide Briand 10th term  [ fr ]23 June 192617 July 192624 days
Édouard Herriot 2nd term  [ fr ]19 July 192621 July 19262 days
Raymond Poincaré 4th term  [ fr ]23 July 19266 November 1928837 days
Raymond Poincaré 5th term  [ fr ]18 November 192826 July 1929250 days
Aristide Briand 11th term  [ fr ]29 July 192922 October 192985 days
André Tardieu 1st term  [ fr ]3 November 192917 February 1930106 days
Camille Chautemps 1st term  [ fr ]21 February 193025 February 19304 days
André Tardieu 2nd term  [ fr ]2 March 19304 December 1930277 days
Théodore Steeg 1st term  [ fr ]13 December 193022 January 193140 days
Pierre Laval 1st term  [ fr ]27 January 193113 June 1931137 days
Paul Doumer, President from 13 May 1931 to 6 May 1932, assassinated
Pierre Laval 2nd term  [ fr ]13 June 193112 January 1932213 days
Pierre Laval 3rd term  [ fr ]14 January 19326 February 193223 days
André Tardieu 3rd term  [ fr ]20 February 193210 May 193280 days
Albert Lebrun, President from 10 May 1932 to 10 July 1940, re-elected
Édouard Herriot 3rd term  [ fr ]3 June 193214 December 1932194 days
Joseph Paul-Boncour 1st term  [ fr ]18 December 193228 January 193341 days
Édouard Daladier 1st term  [ fr ]31 January 193324 October 1933266 days
Albert Sarraut 1st term  [ fr ]26 October 193324 November 193329 days
Camille Chautemps 2nd term  [ fr ]26 November 193327 January 193462 days
Édouard Daladier 2nd term  [ fr ]30 January 19347 February 19348 days
Gaston Doumergue 2nd term  [ fr ]9 February 19348 November 1934272 days
Pierre-Étienne Flandin 1st term  [ fr ]8 November 193431 May 1935204 days
Fernand Bouisson 1st term  [ fr ]1 June 19354 June 19353 days
Pierre Laval 4th term  [ fr ]7 June 193522 January 1936229 days
Albert Sarraut 2nd term  [ fr ]24 January 19364 June 1936132 days
Léon Blum 1st term  [ fr ]4 June 193621 June 1937382 days
Camille Chautemps 3rd term  [ fr ]29 June 193714 January 1938199 days
Camille Chautemps 4th term  [ fr ]18 January 193810 March 193851 days
Léon Blum 2nd term  [ fr ]13 March 19388 April 193826 days
Édouard Daladier 3rd term  [ fr ]10 April 193811 May 1939396 days
Édouard Daladier 4th term  [ fr ]11 May 193913 September 1939125 days
Édouard Daladier 5th term  [ fr ]13 September 193920 March 1940189 days
Paul Reynaud 1st term 22 March 194016 June 194086 days
Philippe Pétain 1st term  [ fr ]16 June 194011 July 194025 days
Vichy Regime (10 July 1940 – 20 August 1944)
Philippe Pétain, Head of the French State from 11 July 1940 to 20 August 1944
Philippe Pétain11 July 194017 April 1942
Pierre Laval (Vice-President of the Council) 5th term 11 July 194013 December 1940
Pierre-Étienne Flandin (Vice-President of the Council) 2nd term 14 December 19409 February 1941
François Darlan (Vice-President of the Council) 1st term 10 February 194117 April 1942
Pierre Laval (Head of Government) 6th term 18 April 194217 August 1944
Provisional Governments of the French Republic (3 June 1944 – 27 October 1946)
Charles de Gaulle, President of the Government from 3 June 1944 to 20 January 1946, I and II
Félix Gouin, President of the Government from 26 January 1946 to 12 June 1946, I
Georges Bidault, President of the Government from 24 June 1946 to 16 December 1946, I
Fourth Republic (27 October 1946 – 4 October 1958)
Vincent Auriol, President of the Assembly from 3 December 1946 to 20 January 1947
Léon Blum (President of the Government) 3rd term  [ fr ]16 December 194622 January 194737 days
Vincent Auriol, President from 16 January 1947 to 16 January 1954
Paul Ramadier 1st term  [ fr ]22 January 194719 November 1947301 days
Robert Schuman 1st term  [ fr ]24 November 194719 July 1948238 days
André Marie 1st term  [ fr ]26 July 194828 August 194833 days
Robert Schuman 2nd term  [ fr ]5 September 19487 September 19482 days
Henri Queuille 1st term  [ fr ]11 September 19486 October 1949390 days
Georges Bidault 2nd term  [ fr ]28 October 194924 June 1950239 days
Henri Queuille 2nd term  [ fr ]2 July 19504 July 19502 days
René Pleven 1st term  [ fr ]13 July 195028 February 1951230 days
Henri Queuille 3rd term  [ fr ]10 March 195111 July 1951123 days
René Pleven 2nd term  [ fr ]11 August 19517 January 1952149 days
Edgar Faure 1st term  [ fr ]20 January 195228 February 195239 days
Antoine Pinay 1st term  [ fr ]8 March 195223 December 1952290 days
René Mayer 1st term  [ fr ]8 January 195328 June 1953171 days
Joseph Laniel 1st term  [ fr ]28 June 195316 January 1954202 days
René Coty, President from 16 January 1954 to 8 January 1959
Joseph Laniel 2nd term  [ fr ]16 January 195412 June 1954147 days
Pierre Mendès France 1st term  [ fr ]18 June 19545 February 1955232 days
Edgar Faure 2nd term  [ fr ]23 February 195523 January 1956334 days
Guy Mollet 1st term  [ fr ]2 February 195621 May 1957474 days
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury 1st term  [ fr ]12 June 195730 September 1957110 days
Félix Gaillard 1st term  [ fr ]6 November 195718 April 1958163 days
Pierre Pflimlin 1st term  [ fr ]14 May 195828 May 195814 days
Charles de Gaulle 3rd term  [ fr ]1 June 19588 January 1959221 days

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Texte intégral de la Constitution du 4 octobre 1958 en vigueur" [Full Text of the Constitution of 4 October 1958 in Force]. www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  2. ↑ Barthélemy, Joseph; Duez, Paul (2004). Traité de droit constitutionnel[Treatise on Constitutional Law] (in French).
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Avril, Pierre (1994). La Ve République: histoire politique et constitutionnelle[The Fifth Republic: political and constitutional history]. Droit fondamental (in French) (2e éd. mise à jour ed.). Paris: Presses universitaires de France. ISBN   978-2-13-046713-7.
  4. ↑ "Constitution of October 4, 1958 § Title II: The President of the Republic, Article 8". National Assembly of France. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
  5. 1 2 Chagnollaud, Dominique; Quermonne, Jean-Louis; Chagnollaud, Dominique; Quermonne, Jean-Louis (2000), La Ve République. 2: Le pouvoir exécutif et l'administration[The Fifth Republic. 2: The executive branch and the administration], Collection champs (in French) (Éd. revue ed.), Paris: Flammarion, ISBN   978-2-08-081473-9
  6. 1 2 3 Dulong, Claude (1975). La Vie quotidienne à l'Élysée au temps de Charles de Gaulle[Daily Life at the Élysée Palace during the Charles de Gaulle Era]. Club pour vous Hachette (in French). Montrouge: le Livre de Paris. ISBN   978-2-245-00282-7.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.