List of Prime Ministers of France
About 8 pages (2,518 words)
France
This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
France
Constitution
Fifth Republic
Government of France
President
Prime Minister
French Parliament
Constitutional Council
Court of Cassation
Political parties
Elections
Presidential: 1958 , 1965 , 1969 ,
1974 , 1981 , 1988 , 1995 , 2002 , 2007
National Assembly: 1973 , 1978 , 1981 ,
1986 , 1988 , 1993 , 1997 , 2002 , 2007
Human rights
Subdivisions
Politics of the European Union
Foreign relations
Political scandals
French Portal
Other countries · Atlas
Politics Portal
This page is a list of French prime ministers . Before 1959, there was no official position entitled "Prime Minister" in the French government. Under the Monarchy, it was sometimes given to the King's principal minister. During the Third Republic , one of the government ministers held the semi-official title of President of the Council of Ministers (Président du Conseil des Ministres ), and was unofficially known as the prime minister (premier ministre ). Even this was something of a misnomer, as it was the President of the Republic who actually presided over the Council of Ministers. In order to enforce the position, the title became official in 1946, under the Fourth Republic . It was replaced by the official title of "Premier ministre" by the constitution of the Fifth Republic in 1959 .
Chief Ministers of the French Kings, 1624-1791
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:
1792-1815
During the First Republic and First 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 articles for details.
Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord was the first Prime Minister of France
Prime Ministers of France, 1815-present
Prime Minister
from
to
Party
Restoration
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord ,
Prince de Benevente
July 9 , 1815
September 26 , 1815
Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu
September 26 , 1815
December 29 , 1818
Jean-Joseph, Marquis Dessolles
December 29 , 1818
November 19 , 1819
Élie, Comte Decazes
November 19 , 1819
February 20 , 1820
Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu
February 20 , 1820
December 14 , 1821
Jean-Baptiste de Villèle
December 14 , 1821
January 4 , 1828
Jean-Baptiste Gaye, Vicomte de Martignac
January 4 , 1828
August 8 , 1829
Jules, Prince de Polignac
August 8 , 1829
July 29 , 1830
July Monarchy
none
August 2 , 1830
August 13 , 1830
Victor, duc de Broglie
August 13 , 1830
November 2 , 1830
Jacques Laffitte
November 2 , 1830
March 13 , 1831
Casimir Pierre Perier
March 13 , 1831
May 16 , 1832
none
May 16 , 1832
October 11 , 1832
Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult , Duc de Dalmatie
October 11 , 1832
July 18 , 1834
Etienne-Maurice, Comte Gérard
July 18 , 1834
November 10 , 1834
Hugues Maret, Duc de Bassano
November 10 , 1834
November 18 , 1834
Edouard Mortier, Duc de Treviso
November 18 , 1834
March 12 , 1835
Victor, duc de Broglie
March 12 , 1835
February 22 , 1836
Adolphe Thiers
February 22 , 1836
September 6 , 1836
Louis, Comte Molé
September 6 , 1836
March 31 , 1839
none
March 31 , 1839
May 12 , 1839
Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult , Duc de Dalmatie
May 12 , 1839
March 1 , 1840
Adolphe Thiers
March 1 , 1840
October 29 , 1840
Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult , Duc de Dalmatie
October 29 , 1840
September 19 , 1847
François Guizot
September 19 , 1847
February 23 , 1848
Louis, Comte Molé
February 23 , 1848
February 24 , 1848
Second Republic
Jacques-Charles Dupont de l'Eure
February 24 , 1848
May 9 , 1848
François Arago
May 10 , 1848
June 24 , 1848
Louis-Eugène Cavaignac
June 28 , 1848
December 20 , 1848
Odilon Barrot
December 20 , 1848
October 31 , 1849
Alphonse Henri, comte d'Hautpoul
October 31 , 1849
April 10 , 1851
Léon Faucher
April 10 , 1851
October 26 , 1851
none
October 26 , 1851
December 2 , 1852
Second Empire
none
December 2 , 1852
December 27 , 1869
Émile Ollivier
December 27 , 1869
August 9 , 1870
Charles Cousin-Montauban, Comte de Palikao
August 9 , 1870
September 4 , 1870
Provisional Government
Jules Trochu
September 4 , 1870
September 4 , 1870
Jean-Pierre Napoléon Eugène Chevandier de Valdrôme
September 4 , 1870
February 18 , 1871
Third Republic
Jules Dufaure
February 19 , 1871
May 24 , 1873
Albert, duc de Broglie
May 25 , 1873
May 22 , 1874
Ernest Courtot de Cissey
May 22 , 1874
March 10 , 1875
Louis Buffet
March 10 , 1875
February 23 , 1876
Jules Dufaure
February 23 , 1876
December 12 , 1876
Jules Simon
December 12 , 1876
May 17 , 1877
Albert, duc de Broglie
May 17 , 1877
November 23 , 1877
Gaëtan de Rochebouët
November 23 , 1877
December 13 , 1877
Jules Dufaure
December 13 , 1877
February 4 , 1879
William Waddington
February 4 , 1879
December 28 , 1879
Charles de Freycinet
December 28 , 1879
September 23 , 1880
Jules Ferry
September 23 , 1880
November 14 , 1881
Léon Gambetta
November 14 , 1881
January 30 , 1882
Charles de Freycinet
January 30 , 1882
August 7 , 1882
Charles Duclerc
August 7 , 1882
January 29 , 1883
Armand Fallières
January 29 , 1883
February 21 , 1883
Jules Ferry
February 21 , 1883
April 6 , 1885
Henri Brisson
April 6 , 1885
January 7 , 1886
Charles de Freycinet
January 7 , 1886
December 16 , 1886
René Goblet
December 16 , 1886
May 30 , 1887
Maurice Rouvier
May 30 , 1887
December 12 , 1887
Pierre Tirard
December 12 , 1887
April 3 , 1888
Charles Floquet
April 3 , 1888
February 22 , 1889
Pierre Tirard
February 22 , 1889
March 17 , 1890
Charles de Freycinet
March 17 , 1890
February 27 , 1892
Émile Loubet
February 27 , 1892
December 6 , 1892
Alexandre Ribot
December 6 , 1892
April 4 , 1893
Charles Dupuy
April 4 , 1893
December 3 , 1893
Jean Casimir-Perier
December 3 , 1893
May 30 , 1894
Charles Dupuy
May 30 , 1894
January 26 , 1895
Alexandre Ribot
January 26 , 1895
November 1 , 1895
Léon Bourgeois
November 1 , 1895
April 29 , 1896
Jules Méline
April 29 , 1896
June 28 , 1898
Henri Brisson
June 28 , 1898
November 1 , 1898
Charles Dupuy
November 1 , 1898
June 22 , 1899
René Waldeck-Rousseau
June 22 , 1899
June 7 , 1902
Émile Combes
June 7 , 1902
January 24 , 1905
Radical
Maurice Rouvier
January 24 , 1905
March 12 , 1906
Ferdinand Sarrien
March 12 , 1906
October 25 , 1906
Georges Clemenceau
October 25 , 1906
July 24 , 1909
Radical
Aristide Briand
July 24 , 1909
March 2 , 1911
SFIO
Ernest Monis
March 2 , 1911
June 27 , 1911
Joseph Caillaux
June 27 , 1911
January 21 , 1912
Raymond Poincaré
January 21 , 1912
January 21 , 1913
PDR
Aristide Briand
January 21 , 1913
March 22 , 1913
PRS
Louis Barthou
March 22 , 1913
December 9 , 1913
Gaston Doumergue
December 9 , 1913
June 9 , 1914
Alexandre Ribot
June 9 , 1914
June 13 , 1914
René Viviani
June 13 , 1914
October 29 , 1915
Aristide Briand
October 29 , 1915
March 20 , 1917
PRS
Alexandre Ribot
March 20 , 1917
September 12 , 1917
Paul Painlevé
September 12 , 1917
November 16 , 1917
PRS
Georges Clemenceau
November 16 , 1917
January 20 , 1920
Radical
Alexandre Millerand
January 20 , 1920
September 24 , 1920
Georges Leygues
September 24 , 1920
January 16 , 1921
Aristide Briand
January 16 , 1921
January 15 , 1922
PRS
Raymond Poincaré
January 15 , 1922
June 8 , 1924
PDR
Frédéric François-Marsal
June 8 , 1924
June 15 , 1924
Édouard Herriot
June 15 , 1924
April 17 , 1925
Radical
Paul Painlevé
April 17 , 1925
November 28 , 1925
PRS
Aristide Briand
November 28 , 1925
July 20 , 1926
PRS
Édouard Herriot
July 20 , 1926
July 23 , 1926
Radical
Raymond Poincaré
July 23 , 1926
July 29 , 1929
PDR
Aristide Briand
July 29 , 1929
November 2 , 1929
PRS
André Tardieu
November 2 , 1929
February 21 , 1930
Camille Chautemps
February 21 , 1930
March 2 , 1930
Radical
André Tardieu
March 2 , 1930
December 13 , 1930
Théodore Steeg
December 13 , 1930
January 27 , 1931
Pierre Laval
January 27 , 1931
February 20 , 1932
André Tardieu
February 20 , 1932
June 3 , 1932
Édouard Herriot
June 3 , 1932
December 18 , 1932
Radical
Joseph Paul-Boncour
December 18 , 1932
January 31 , 1933
PDRS
Édouard Daladier
January 31 , 1933
October 26 , 1933
Radical
Albert Sarraut
October 26 , 1933
November 26 , 1933
Radical
Camille Chautemps
November 26 , 1933
January 30 , 1934
Radical
Édouard Daladier
January 30 , 1934
February 9 , 1934
Radical
Gaston Doumergue
February 9 , 1934
November 8 , 1934
Radical
Pierre Étienne Flandin
November 8 , 1934
June 1 , 1935
Fernand Bouisson
June 1 , 1935
June 7 , 1935
Pierre Laval
June 7 , 1935
January 24 , 1936
Albert Sarraut
January 24 , 1936
June 4 , 1936
Radical
Léon Blum
June 4 , 1936
June 22 , 1937
SFIO
Camille Chautemps
June 22 , 1937
March 13 , 1938
Radical
Léon Blum
March 13 , 1938
April 10 , 1938
SFIO
Édouard Daladier
April 10 , 1938
March 21 , 1940
Radical
Paul Reynaud
March 21 , 1940
June 16 , 1940
PDRS
Philippe Pétain
June 16 , 1940
July 11 , 1940
Vichy France
Pierre Laval (Vice Premier under Pétain)
July 11 , 1940
December 13 , 1940
Pierre Étienne Flandin (Vice Premier under Pétain)
December 13 , 1940
February 9 , 1941
François Darlan (Vice Premier under Pétain)
February 9 , 1941
April 18 , 1942
Pierre Laval
April 18 , 1942
August 17 , 1944
Provisional Government
Charles de Gaulle
June 3 , 1944
January 26 , 1946
non-party
Félix 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
December 16 , 1946
January 16 , 1947
SFIO
Fourth Republic
Paul Ramadier
January 22 , 1947
November 24 , 1947
SFIO
Robert Schuman
November 24 , 1947
July 26 , 1948
MRP
André Marie
July 26 , 1948
September 5 , 1948
Radical
Robert Schuman
September 5 , 1948
September 11 , 1948
MRP
Henri Queuille
September 11 , 1948
October 28 , 1949
Radical
Georges Bidault
October 28 , 1949
July 2 , 1950
MRP
Henri Queuille
July 2 , 1950
July 12 , 1950
Radical
René Pleven
July 12 , 1950
March 10 , 1951
UDSR
Henri Queuille
March 10 , 1951
August 11 , 1951
Radical
René Pleven
August 11 , 1951
January 20 , 1952
UDSR
Edgar Faure
January 20 , 1952
March 8 , 1952
Radical
Antoine Pinay
March 8 , 1952
January 8 , 1953
CNIP
René Mayer
January 8 , 1953
June 27 , 1953
Radical
Joseph Laniel
June 27 , 1953
June 18 , 1954
CNIP
Pierre Mendès-France
June 18 , 1954
February 23 , 1955
Radical
Christian Pineau
February 17 , 1955
February 19 , 1955
Radical
Edgar Faure
February 23 , 1955
January 31 , 1956
Radical
Guy Mollet
January 31 , 1956
June 12 , 1957
SFIO
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury
June 12 , 1957
November 6 , 1957
Radical
Félix Gaillard
November 6 , 1957
May 13 , 1958
Radical
Pierre Pflimlin
May 13 , 1958
June 1 , 1958
MRP
Charles de Gaulle
June 1 , 1958
January 8 , 1959
UNR
Fifth Republic
Michel Debré
January 8 , 1959
April 14 , 1962
UNR
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
Pierre Messmer
July 6 , 1972
May 27 , 1974
UDR
Jacques Chirac
May 27 , 1974
August 26 , 1976
UDR
Raymond Barre
August 26 , 1976
May 21 , 1981
UDF
Pierre Mauroy
May 21 , 1981
July 17 , 1984
Socialist
Laurent Fabius
July 17 , 1984
March 20 , 1986
Socialist
Jacques Chirac
March 20 , 1986
May 10 , 1988
RPR
Michel Rocard
May 10 , 1988
May 15 , 1991
Socialist
Édith Cresson
May 15 , 1991
April 2 , 1992
Socialist
Pierre Bérégovoy
April 2 , 1992
March 29 , 1993
Socialist
Édouard Balladur
March 29 , 1993
May 18 , 1995
RPR
Alain Juppé
May 18 , 1995
June 3 , 1997
RPR
Lionel Jospin
June 3 , 1997
May 6 , 2002
Socialist
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
May 6 , 2002
May 31 , 2005
UMP
Dominique de Villepin
May 31 , 2005
May 15 , 2007
UMP
François Fillon
May 17 , 2007
Incumbent
UMP
See also
External links
View More Summaries on List of Prime Ministers of France