The head of the government of France has been called the prime minister of France (French: Premier ministre ) since 1959, when Michel Debré became the first officeholder appointed under the Fifth Republic . During earlier periods of history, the head of government of France was known by different titles. As was common in European democracies of the 1815–1958 period (the Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy , the Second , Third , and Fourth Republic , as well as the Vichy regime ), the head of government was called President of the Council of Ministers (Président du Conseil des ministres ), generally shortened to President of the council (Président du Conseil ). This should not be confused with the elected office of president of the French Republic , who appoints the prime minister as head of state .
9th century – 18th century
Kingdom of France (843–1792)
Under the Kingdom of France , there was no official title for the leader of the government. The chief ministers (principal ministres ) of certain kings of France nonetheless led the government de facto .
Chief minister(Lifespan)
Term of office
King (Reign)
Anne de Montmorency (1493–1567)
1 January 1515
14 June 1541
Francis I (1515–1547)
Claude d'Annebault (1495–1552)
1541
31 March 1547
Anne de Montmorency(1493–1567)
1 April 1547
10 August 1557
Henry II (1547–1559)
Position vacant (absolute rule by Henry II )
11 August 1557
10 July 1559
Francis, Duke of Guise (1519–1563)
10 July 1559
5 December 1560
Francis II (1559–1560)
Michel de l'Hôpital (1507–1573)
5 December 1560
13 March 1573(Died in office)
Charles IX (1560–1574)
René de Birague (1506–1583)
30 May 1574
24 November 1583(Died in office)
Henry III (1574–1589)
Philippe Hurault de Cheverny (1528–1599)
24 November 1583
12 May 1588
Position vacant (absolute rule by Henry III )
12 May 1588
2 August 1589
Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully (1560–1641)
2 August 1589
29 January 1611
Henry IV (1589–1610)
Nicolas de Neufville, seigneur de Villeroy (1543–1617)
30 January 1611
9 August 1616
Louis XIII (1610–1643)
Concino Concini (1569–1617)
9 August 1616
24 April 1617(Died in office)
Charles d'Albert, duc de Luynes (1578–1621)
24 April 1617
15 December 1621(Died in office)
Position vacant (absolute rule by Louis XIII )
15 December 1621
12 August 1624
Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642)
12 August 1624
4 December 1642(Died in office)
Cardinal Mazarin (1602–1661)
5 December 1642
9 March 1661(Died in office)
Louis XIV (1643–1715)
Position vacant (absolute rule by Louis XIV )
9 March 1661
1 September 1715
Guillaume Dubois (1656–1723)
12 September 1715
10 August 1723(Died in office)
Louis XV (1715–1774)
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (1674–1723)
10 August 1723
2 December 1723(Died in office)
Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon (1692–1740)
2 December 1723
11 June 1726
André-Hercule de Fleury (1653–1743)
11 June 1726
29 January 1743(Died in office)
Position vacant (absolute rule by Louis XV )
29 January 1743
3 December 1758
Étienne François de Choiseul, Duke of Choiseul (1719–1785)
3 December 1758
24 December 1770
René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou (1714–1792)
25 December 1770
23 August 1774
Jacques Turgot (1727–1781)
24 August 1774
12 May 1776
Louis XVI (1774–1792)
Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, comte de Maurepas (1701–1781)
14 May 1776
21 November 1781(Died in office)
Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes (1717–1787)
21 November 1781
13 February 1787(Died in office)
Étienne Charles de Loménie de Brienne (1727–1794)
1 May 1787
25 August 1788
Jacques Necker (1732–1804)
25 August 1788
11 July 1789
Louis Auguste Le Tonnelier de Breteuil (1730–1807)
11 July 1789
16 July 1789
Jacques Necker(1732–1804)
16 July 1789
3 September 1790
Armand Marc, comte de Montmorin (1745–1792)
3 September 1790
3 September 1791
Constitutional cabinet (supervisioned by Legislative Assembly )
3 September 1791
21 September 1792
18th century – 19th century
French First Republic (1792–1804)
During the First Republic, the arrangements for governance changed frequently:
There was no individual head of government.
French First Empire (1804–1815)
As Emperor, Napoleon was both head of state and head of government.
Chief minister
Term of office
Political party
Emperor (Reign)
Position vacant (absolute rule by Napoleon)
1
18 May 1804
1 April 1814
Vacant
Napoleon (1804–1814)
First Restoration (1814–1815)
Hundred Days (1815)
As Emperor, Napoleon was both head of state and head of government. Upon Napoleon's abdication , his son Napoleon II was named Emperor. This rule was nominal, and Napoleon II remained in Austria throughout his nominal reign.
Chief Minister
Term of office
Political party
Emperor (Reign)
Position vacant (absolute rule by Napoleon I)
2
20 March 1815
22 June 1815
Vacant
Napoleon I (1815)
Joseph Fouché (1759–1820) (as President of the Executive Commission )
•
22 June 1815
7 July 1815
Bonapartist
Napoleon II (1815)
Bourbon Restoration (1815–1830)
Presidents of the Council of Ministers
July Monarchy (1830–1848)
Presidents of the Council of Ministers
Political parties
Independent
Orléanist
Doctrinaires /Movement Party
Resistance Party
Second French Republic (1848–1852)
Presidents of the Council of Ministers
Second French Empire (1852–1870)
Cabinet Chiefs
19th century – 20th century
Third French Republic (1870–1940)
President of the Government of National Defense
President of the Government of National Defense(Lifespan)
Term of office
Political party
Legislature(Election)
Louis-Jules Trochu (1815–1896)
•
4 September 1870
22 January 1871
Military
None
Presidents of the Council of Ministers
French State (1940–1944)
Until 1942, Marshal Philippe Pétain served as Chief of State and nominal President of the Council of Ministers. From 1942, Pétain remained Chief of State, but Pierre Laval was named Chief of the Government.
Vice-Presidents of the Council of Ministers
Chief of the Government
Chief of the Government(Lifespan)
Term of office
Political party
Legislature(Election)
Chief of State(Term)
49
Pierre Laval(1883–1945)
6
18 April 1942
19 August 1944
Révolution nationale
None
Philippe Pétain (1940–1944)
Provisional Government of the French Republic (1944–1946)
Chairmen of the Provisional Government
Fourth French Republic (1946–1958)
Presidents of the Council of Ministers
20th century – 21st century
Fifth French Republic (since 1958)
Prime Ministers
S. No.
Portrait
Prime Minister(Lifespan)
Term of office
Political party(Political coalition)
Government
Legislature(Election)
President (Term)
Term of office
Time in office
79
Michel Debré (1912–1996)
8 January 1959
14 April 1962
3 years, 96 days
Union for the New Republic
Debré [fr ]
I (1958 )
18
Charles de Gaulle (1959–1969)
80
Georges Pompidou (1911–1974)
14 April 1962
7 December 1962
6 years, 87 days
Union for the New Republic
Pompidou I [fr ]
7 December 1962
8 January 1966
Pompidou II [fr ]
II (1962 )
8 January 1966
7 April 1967
Pompidou III [fr ]
7 April 1967
10 July 1968
Pompidou IV [fr ]
III (1967 )
81
Maurice Couve de Murville (1907–1999)
10 July 1968
20 June 1969
345 days
Union of Democrats for the Republic
Couve de Murville [fr ]
IV (1968 )
82
Jacques Chaban-Delmas (1915–2000)
20 June 1969
5 July 1972
3 years, 15 days
Union of Democrats for the Republic
Chaban-Delmas [fr ]
19
Georges Pompidou
(1969–1974)
83
Pierre Messmer (1916–2007)
5 July 1972
5 April 1973
1 year, 326 days
Union of Democrats for the Republic
Messmer I [fr ]
5 April 1973
1 March 1974
Messmer II [fr ]
V (1973 )
1 March 1974
27 May 1974
Messmer III [fr ]
84
Jacques Chirac (1932–2019)
27 May 1974
25 August 1976
2 years, 90 days
Union of Democrats for the Republic
Chirac I [fr ]
20
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1974–1981)
85
Raymond Barre (1924–2007)
25 August 1976
30 March 1977
4 years, 269 days
Miscellaneous right (Union for French Democracy)
Barre I [fr ]
30 March 1977
5 April 1978
Barre II [fr ]
5 April 1978
21 May 1981
Barre III [fr ]
VI (1978 )
86
Pierre Mauroy (1928–2013)
21 May 1981
23 June 1981
3 years, 57 days
Socialist Party
Mauroy I [fr ]
21
François Mitterrand (1981–1995)
23 June 1981
22 March 1983
Mauroy II [fr ]
VII (1981 )
22 March 1983
17 July 1984
Mauroy III [fr ]
87
Laurent Fabius (b. 1946 )
17 July 1984
20 March 1986
1 year, 246 days
Socialist Party
Fabius [fr ]
(84)
Jacques Chirac(1932–2019)
20 March 1986
10 May 1988
2 years, 51 days
Rally for the Republic
Chirac II [fr ]
VIII (1986 )
88
Michel Rocard (1930–2016)
10 May 1988
28 June 1988
3 years, 5 days
Socialist Party
Rocard I
28 June 1988
15 May 1991
Rocard II
IX (1988 )
89
Édith Cresson (b. 1934 )
15 May 1991
2 April 1992
323 days
Socialist Party
Cresson [fr ]
90
Pierre Bérégovoy (1925–1993)
2 April 1992
29 March 1993
361 days
Socialist Party
Bérégovoy [fr ]
91
Édouard Balladur (b. 1929 )
29 March 1993
17 May 1995
2 years, 49 days
Rally for the Republic
Balladur [fr ]
X (1993 )
92
Alain Juppé (b. 1945 )
17 May 1995
7 November 1995
2 years, 16 days
Rally for the Republic
Juppé I [fr ]
22
Jacques Chirac (1995–2007)
7 November 1995
2 June 1997
Juppé II [fr ]
93
Lionel Jospin (b. 1937 )
2 June 1997
6 May 2002
4 years, 338 days
Socialist Party
Jospin
XI (1997 )
94
Jean-Pierre Raffarin (b. 1948 )
6 May 2002
17 June 2002
3 years, 25 days
Liberal Democracy , later Union for a Popular Movement
Raffarin I [fr ]
17 June 2002
31 March 2004
Raffarin II [fr ]
XII (2002 )
31 March 2004
31 May 2005
Raffarin III [fr ]
95
Dominique de Villepin (b. 1953 )
31 May 2005
17 May 2007
1 year, 351 days
Union for a Popular Movement
Villepin [fr ]
96
François Fillon (b. 1954 )
17 May 2007
19 June 2007
4 years, 364 days
Union for a Popular Movement
Fillon I [fr ]
23
Nicolas Sarkozy (2007–2012)
19 June 2007
14 November 2010
Fillon II [fr ]
XIII (2007 )
14 November 2010
15 May 2012
Fillon III
97
Jean-Marc Ayrault (b. 1950 )
15 May 2012
21 June 2012
1 year, 320 days
Socialist Party
Ayrault I
24
François Hollande (2012–2017)
21 June 2012
31 March 2014
Ayrault II
XIV (2012 )
98
Manuel Valls (b. 1962 )
31 March 2014
26 August 2014
2 years, 250 days
Socialist Party
Valls I
26 August 2014
6 December 2016
Valls II
99
Bernard Cazeneuve (b. 1963 )
6 December 2016
15 May 2017
160 days
Socialist Party
Cazeneuve
100
Édouard Philippe (b. 1970 )
15 May 2017
21 June 2017
3 years, 49 days
The Republicans , later Independent
Philippe I
25
Emmanuel Macron
(2017–present)
21 June 2017
3 July 2020
Philippe II
XV (2017 )
101
Jean Castex (b. 1965 )
3 July 2020
16 May 2022
1 year, 317 days
Independent
Castex
102
Élisabeth Borne (b. 1961 )
16 May 2022
4 July 2022
1 year, 238 days
Renaissance [ a]
Borne I
4 July 2022
9 January 2024
Borne II
XVI (2022 )
103
Gabriel Attal (b. 1989 )
9 January 2024
5 September 2024
240 days
Renaissance
Attal
104
Michel Barnier (b. 1951 )
5 September 2024
13 December 2024
99 days
The Republicans
Barnier
XVII (2024 )
105
François Bayrou (b. 1951 )
13 December 2024
Incumbent
32 days
Democratic Movement
Bayrou
Timeline
Executive Prime Ministers (1814 ― 1959)
Non-executive Prime Ministers (since 1959)
See also
Notes
^ Renamed from La République En Marche! in September 2022
External links