List of heads of government of France

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In France , the Prime Minister is the head of government. As such, in the semi-presidential system of government of the Fifth Republic , he faces the state president , who also exercises the functions of head of government in certain areas.

Constitutional position

The Prime Minister is appointed by the President. The office of Prime Minister is incompatible with the exercise of a parliamentary mandate or any other professional activity. The Prime Minister does not have a fixed term of office. It is a recognized constitutional convention that after a new election of the National Assembly or of the President, he offers the President the resignation of the government. Otherwise he can only be recalled by a vote of no confidence by the National Assembly.

The Prime Minister proposes ministers to the President for appointment and directs the affairs of government. The constitution gives him responsibility for national defense, ensuring the implementation of laws and, in principle, the right to issue ordinances. He thus shares central executive rights with the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, chairs the Council of Ministers and signs Council of Ministers ordinances.

In contrast to the German Chancellor , the Prime Minister has no formal authority to issue guidelines and is not the head of cabinet meetings. As management instruments within the government, he has organizational power over the formation and staffing of ministries as well as the possibility of setting up inter-ministerial committees. He, too, stands alone as representatives of the executive to the legislative initiative, can the National Assembly , the confidence questions and the Constitutional Council with the aim of abstract judicial review call.

This gives him a potentially equivalent position in the management of the executive branch alongside the president. Whether it comes into effect in constitutional reality depends on the relationship between the President and the National Assembly. If the president has a political majority in the national assembly, he de facto takes over the leadership of the executive and the prime minister freely appointed by him subordinates himself to this claim. However, if the parliamentary majority is in opposition to the president, the constellation of so-called cohabitation occurs : Since the prime minister depends on the confidence of the national assembly, the state president is forced to appoint the leader of the opposition as prime minister. In this case, the prime minister's competences can develop fully in cooperation with the parliamentary majority that supports him, since the president withdraws in a cohabitation to a moderator role in the executive branch as well as the domaine réservé , whereby the overarching responsibility of the president for the foreign and defense - and European policy.

List of incumbents

In the Third and Fourth Republic , which had a parliamentary system of government, the head of government held the title of Président du Conseil ( President of the Council of Ministers , usually translated into German for short as Prime Minister ).

Until the end of the 19th century, party affiliations were only given programmatically. Parties as organized associations with permanent members only emerged around 1900.

Heads of government of France since 1815

Surname Taking office Resignation Political party Head of state
President of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of France 1815-1830 ( Restoration )
Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord July 9, 1815 September 26, 1815 independent King of France
Louis XVIII
1815-1824
Armand Emmanuel du Plessis September 26, 1815 December 29, 1818 Ultra-royalist
Jean-Joseph Dessoles December 29, 1818 November 19, 1819 Doctrinaire (Liberal Royalist)
Élie Decazes November 19, 1819 February 20, 1820 doctrinaire
Armand Emmanuel du Plessis (2nd time) February 20, 1820 December 14, 1821 Ultra-royalist
Jean-Baptiste de Villèle December 14, 1821 January 4, 1828 Ultra-royalist King of France
Charles X.
1824–1830
Jean-Baptiste Gay January 4, 1828 August 8, 1829 Ultra-royalist
Jules de Polignac August 8, 1829 July 29, 1830 Ultra-royalist
Casimir de Rochechouart de Mortemart July 29, 1830 July 31, 1830 independent
President of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of France 1830–1848 ( July Monarchy )
Victor de Broglie August 13, 1830 November 2, 1830 Orléanist King of the French
Louis-Philippe I
1830–1848
Jacques Laffitte November 2, 1830 March 13, 1831 Movement party (progressive)
Casimir Pierre Périer March 13, 1831 May 16, 1832 Resistance Party (Conservative)
Nicolas Soult May 16, 1832 July 18, 1834 Movement party
Étienne Maurice Gérard July 18, 1834 November 10, 1834 independent
Hugues-Bernard Maret November 10, 1834 November 18, 1834 independent
Edouard Adolphe Mortier November 18, 1834 March 12, 1835 independent
Victor de Broglie (2nd time) March 12, 1835 February 22, 1836 Orléanist
Adolphe Thiers February 22, 1836 September 6, 1836 Movement party
Louis-Mathieu Molé September 6, 1836 March 31, 1839 Orléanist
Nicolas Soult (2nd time) March 31, 1839 March 1, 1840 Movement party
Adolphe Thiers (2nd time) March 1, 1840 October 29, 1840 Movement party
Nicolas Soult (3rd time) October 29, 1840 September 19, 1847 Movement party
François Guizot September 19, 1847 February 23, 1848 Resistance party
Louis-Mathieu Molé (2nd time) February 23, 1848 February 24, 1848 Resistance party
President of the Council of Ministers of the French Republic 1848-1852 ( Second Republic )
Jacques-Charles Dupont de l'Eure February 24, 1848 May 9, 1848 Moderate Republican no head of state
François Arago May 10, 1848 June 24, 1848 Moderate Republican
Louis-Eugène Cavaignac June 28, 1848 December 20, 1848 Moderate Republican
Odilon Barrot December 20, 1848 October 31, 1849 Party of Order (Conservative) President
Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte
1848–1852
Alphonse Henri d'Hautpoul October 31, 1849 January 24, 1851 Party of order
President Bonaparte himself January 24, 1851 April 10, 1851 Bonapartist
Léon Faucher April 10, 1851 October 26, 1851 Party of order
President Bonaparte himself October 26, 1851 December 2, 1852 Bonapartist
Head of the Cabinet of the French Empire 1852–1870 ( Second Empire )
absolute rule of Napoleon III. December 2, 1852 January 2, 1870 Bonapartist Emperor of the French
Napoleon III.
1852-1870
Émile Ollivier January 2, 1870 August 9, 1870 Bonapartist
Charles Cousin-Montauban August 9, 1870 September 4, 1870 Bonapartist
President of the Council of Ministers of the French Republic 1870-1940 ( Third Republic )
Louis Jules Trochu September 4, 1870 January 22, 1871 independent no head of state
Jules Dufaure January 22, 1871 May 24, 1873 moderate republican President
Adolphe Thiers
1871–1873
Albert de Broglie May 24, 1873 May 22, 1874 Monarchist (oleanist) President
Patrice de Mac-Mahon
1873–1879
Ernest Courtot de Cissey May 22, 1874 March 10, 1875 independent
Louis-Joseph Buffet March 10, 1875 February 23, 1876 monarchist
Jules Dufaure (2nd time) February 23, 1876 December 12, 1876 moderate republican
Jules Simon December 12, 1876 May 17, 1877 moderate republican
Albert de Broglie (2nd time) May 17, 1877 November 23, 1877 monarchist
Gaëtan de Rochebouët November 23, 1877 December 13, 1877 Conservative
Jules Dufaure (3rd time) December 13, 1877 February 4, 1879 moderate republican
William Henry Waddington February 4, 1879 December 28, 1879 moderate republican President
Jules Grévy
1879–1887
Charles de Freycinet December 28, 1879 September 23, 1880 moderate republican
Jules Ferry September 23, 1880 November 14, 1881 moderate republican
Léon Gambetta November 14, 1881 January 30, 1882 Republican Union
Charles de Freycinet (2nd time) January 30, 1882 August 7, 1882 moderate republican
Charles Duclerc August 7, 1882 January 29, 1883 moderate republican
Armand Fallières January 29, 1883 February 21, 1883 moderate republican
Jules Ferry (2nd time) February 21, 1883 April 6, 1885 moderate republican
Henri Brisson April 6, 1885 January 7, 1886 Republican Union
Charles de Freycinet (3rd time) January 7, 1886 December 16, 1886 moderate republican
René Goblet December 16, 1886 May 30, 1887 moderate republican
Maurice Rouvier May 30, 1887 December 12, 1887 Republican Union
Pierre Tirard December 12, 1887 April 3, 1888 independent President
Marie François Sadi Carnot
1887–1894
Charles Thomas Floquet April 3, 1888 February 22, 1889 More radical
Pierre Tirard (2nd time) February 22, 1889 March 17, 1890 independent
Charles de Freycinet (4th time) March 17, 1890 February 27, 1892 Moderate Republican
Émile Loubet February 27, 1892 December 6, 1892 Moderate Republican
Alexandre Ribot December 6, 1892 April 4, 1893 Moderate Republican
Charles Dupuy April 4, 1893 December 3, 1893 Moderate Republican
Jean Casimir-Perier December 3, 1893 May 30, 1894 Moderate Republican
Charles Dupuy (2nd time) May 30, 1894 February 26, 1895 Moderate Republican President
Jean Casimir-Perier
1894–1895
Alexandre Ribot (2nd time) February 26, 1895 November 1, 1895 Moderate Republican President
Félix Faure
1895–1899
Léon Bourgeois November 1, 1895 April 29, 1896 More radical
Felix Jules Meline April 29, 1896 June 28, 1898 Middle right
Henri Brisson (2nd time) June 28, 1898 November 1, 1898 Republican Union
Charles Dupuy (3rd time) November 1, 1898 June 22, 1899 Moderate Republican
Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau June 22, 1899 June 7, 1902 Democratic Alliance (AD) President
Émile Loubet
1899–1906
Émile Combes June 7, 1902 January 24, 1905 More radical
Maurice Rouvier (2nd time) January 24, 1905 March 12, 1906 AD
Ferdinand Sarrien March 12, 1906 October 25, 1906 More radical President
Armand Fallières
1906–1913
Georges Clemenceau October 25, 1906 July 24, 1909 More radical
Aristide Briand July 24, 1909 March 2, 1911 PRS
Antoine Emmanuel Ernest Monis March 2, 1911 June 27, 1911 More radical
Joseph Caillaux June 27, 1911 January 21, 1912 More radical
Raymond Poincare January 21, 1912 January 21, 1913 AD
Aristide Briand (2nd time) January 21, 1913 March 22, 1913 PRS
Louis Barthou March 22, 1913 December 9, 1913 AD President
Raymond Poincaré
1913–1920
Gaston Doumergue December 9, 1913 June 9, 1914 More radical
Alexandre Ribot (3rd time) June 9, 1914 June 13, 1914 Moderate Republican
René Viviani June 9, 1914 October 29, 1915 PRS
Aristide Briand (3rd time) October 29, 1915 March 20, 1917 PRS
Alexandre Ribot (4th time) March 20, 1917 September 12, 1917 Moderate Republican
Paul Painlevé September 12, 1917 November 16, 1917 PRS
Georges Clemenceau (2nd time) November 16, 1917 January 20, 1920 More radical
Alexandre Millerand January 20, 1920 September 24, 1920 PRS President
Paul Deschanel
1920
Georges Leygues September 24, 1920 January 16, 1921 AD President
Alexandre Millerand
1920–1924
Aristide Briand (4th time ) January 16, 1921 January 15, 1922 PRS
Raymond Poincaré (2nd time) January 15, 1922 June 8, 1924 AD
Frédéric François-Marsal June 8, 1924 June 15, 1924 Republican Federation (FR)
Edouard Herriot June 15, 1924 April 17, 1925 More radical President
Gaston Doumergue
1924–1931
Paul Painlevé (2nd time) April 17, 1925 November 28, 1925 PRS
Aristide Briand (5th time) November 28, 1925 July 20, 1926 PRS
Édouard Herriot (2nd time) July 20, 1926 July 23, 1926 More radical
Raymond Poincaré (3rd time) July 23, 1926 July 29, 1929 AD
Aristide Briand (6th time) July 29, 1929 November 2, 1929 PRS
André Tardieu November 2, 1929 February 21, 1930 AD
Camille Chautemps February 21, 1930 March 2, 1930 More radical
André Tardieu (2nd time) March 2, 1930 December 13, 1930 AD
Théodore Steeg December 13, 1930 January 27, 1931 More radical
Pierre Laval January 27, 1931 February 20, 1932 independent President
Paul Doumer
1931–1932
André Tardieu (3rd time) February 20, 1932 June 3, 1932 AD
Edouard Herriot June 3, 1932 December 18, 1932 More radical President
Albert Lebrun
1931–1940
Joseph Paul-Boncour December 18, 1932 January 31, 1933 PRS
Edouard Daladier January 31, 1933 October 26, 1933 More radical
Albert Sarraut October 26, 1933 November 26, 1933 More radical
Camille Chautemps (2nd time) November 26, 1933 January 30, 1934 More radical
Édouard Daladier (2nd time) January 30, 1934 February 9, 1934 More radical
Gaston Doumergue (2nd time) February 9, 1934 November 8, 1934 More radical
Pierre-Etienne Flandin November 8, 1934 June 1, 1935 AD
Fernand Bouisson June 1, 1935 June 7, 1935 PRS
Pierre Laval (2nd time) June 7, 1935 January 24, 1936 independent
Albert Sarraut (2nd time) January 24, 1936 June 4, 1936 More radical
Léon Blum June 4, 1936 June 22, 1937 SFIO
Camille Chautemps (3rd time) June 22, 1937 March 13, 1938 More radical
Léon Blum (2nd time) March 13, 1938 April 10, 1938 SFIO
Édouard Daladier (3rd time) April 10, 1938 March 21, 1940 More radical
Paul Reynaud March 21, 1940 June 16, 1940 AD
Philippe Pétain June 16, 1940 July 11, 1940 independent
President of the Council of Ministers of the French State 1940–1944 ( Vichy regime )
Pierre Laval (3rd time) July 11, 1940 December 13, 1940 independent Head of State
Philippe Pétain
1940–1944
Pierre-Étienne Flandin (2nd time) December 13, 1940 February 9, 1941 independent
François Darlan February 9, 1941 April 12, 1942 independent
Pierre Laval (4th time) April 12, 1942 September 7, 1944 independent
President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic 1944–1947
Charles de Gaulle August 20, 1944 January 26, 1946 independent The head of government was also the
head of state
Felix Gouin January 26, 1946 June 24, 1946 SFIO
Georges Bidault June 24, 1946 November 28, 1946 MRP
Vincent Auriol November 28, 1946 December 16, 1946 SFIO
Léon Blum (3rd time) December 16, 1946 January 22, 1947 SFIO
President of the Council of Ministers of the French Republic 1947–1959 ( IV Republic )
Paul Ramadier January 22, 1947 November 24, 1947 SFIO President
Vincent Auriol ( SFIO )
1947–1954
Robert Schuman November 24, 1947 July 24, 1948 MRP
André Marie July 24, 1948 September 2, 1948 Rad-Soc
Robert Schuman (2nd time) September 2, 1948 September 11, 1948 MRP
Henri Queuille September 11, 1948 October 28, 1949 Rad-Soc
Georges Bidault October 28, 1949 2nd July 1950 MRP
Henri Queuille (2nd time) 2nd July 1950 July 12, 1950 Rad-Soc
René Pleven July 12, 1950 March 10, 1951 UDSR
Henri Queuille March 10, 1951 August 11, 1951 Rad-Soc
René Pleven (2nd time) August 11, 1951 January 20, 1952 UDSR
Edgar Faure January 20, 1952 March 8, 1952 Rad-Soc
Antoine Pinay March 8, 1952 January 8, 1953 CNIP
René Mayer January 8, 1953 June 28, 1953 More radical
Joseph Laniel June 28, 1953 June 19, 1954 CNIP
Pierre Mendès France June 19, 1954 17th February 1955 More radical President
René Coty ( CNIP )
1954–1959
Christian Pineau 17th February 1955 February 23, 1955 SFIO
Edgar Faure (2nd time) February 23, 1955 February 1, 1956 More radical
Guy Mollet February 1, 1956 June 13, 1957 SFIO
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury June 13, 1957 November 6, 1957 More radical
Felix Gaillard November 6, 1957 May 14, 1958 More radical
Pierre Pflimlin May 14, 1958 June 1, 1958 MRP
Charles de Gaulle June 1, 1958 January 8, 1959 UNR
Prime Minister of the French Republic since 1959 ( Fifth Republic )
Michel Debre January 8, 1959 April 14, 1962 UNR President
Charles de Gaulle ( UNR )
1959–1969
Georges Pompidou April 14, 1962 July 10, 1968 UNR
Maurice Couve de Murville July 10, 1968 June 20, 1969 UDR
Jacques Chaban-Delmas June 20, 1969 July 6, 1972 UDR President
Georges Pompidou ( UDR )
1969–1974
Pierre Messmer July 6, 1972 May 27, 1974 UDR
Jacques Chirac May 27, 1974 August 26, 1976 UDR President
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing ( UDF )
1974–1981
Raymond Barre August 26, 1976 May 21, 1981 UDF
Pierre Mauroy May 21, 1981 17th July 1984 PS President
François Mitterrand ( PS )
1981–1995
Laurent Fabius 17th July 1984 March 20, 1986 PS
Jacques Chirac (2nd time) March 20, 1986 May 10, 1988 RPR
Michel Rocard May 10, 1988 May 15, 1991 PS
Edith Cresson May 15, 1991 April 2, 1992 PS
Pierre Bérégovoy April 2, 1992 March 29, 1993 PS
Edouard Balladur March 29, 1993 May 18, 1995 RPR
Alain Juppé May 18, 1995 June 3, 1997 RPR President
Jacques Chirac ( RPR / UMP )
1995–2007
Lionel Jospin June 3, 1997 May 6, 2002 PS
Jean-Pierre Raffarin May 6, 2002 May 31, 2005 UMP
Dominique de Villepin May 31, 2005 May 17, 2007 UMP
François Fillon May 17, 2007 May 16, 2012 UMP President
Nicolas Sarkozy ( UMP )
2007–2012
Jean-Marc Ayrault May 16, 2012 March 31, 2014 PS President
François Hollande ( PS )
2012–2017
Manuel Valls March 31, 2014 December 6, 2016 PS
Bernard Cazeneuve December 6, 2016 15th May 2017 PS
Edouard Philippe 15th May 2017 3rd July 2020 non-party, formerly LR President
Emmanuel Macron ( LREM )
since 2017
Jean Castex 3rd July 2020 officiating independent
Existing parties
  • Gaullist parties ( UNR , UDR , RPR , UMP / LR )
  • PS
  • CNIP
  • Radikalische / Parti radical
    • Previous parties
  • Liberals: UDF / UDSR
  • MPR
  • SFIO
  • PRS
  • Moderate Republicans / Republican Union
  • Center-right / AD
  • Monarchists / Conservatives / FR
  • Movement party
  • Resistance party
  • Doctrinal
  • Ultra-royalists
  • Orléanists

    • Web links

    Individual evidence

    1. ↑ From 1940 to 1942 Petain was formally Prime Minister. The actual head of government was the respective deputy