Michel Debré
Encyclopedia
Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (miʃɛl dəbʁe; 15 January 1912 – 2 August 1996) was a French Gaullist
politician. He is considered the "father" of the current Constitution of France
, and was the first Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic
. He served under President Charles de Gaulle
from 1959 to 1962.
, who is today considered by many to be the founder of modern pediatrics
. Michel Debré himself was a Catholic. He studied at the Lycée Montaigne
and then at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand
, obtained a diploma from the École Libre des Sciences Politiques
, and a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Paris. He then became a Professor of Law at the University of Paris
. He also joined the École des Officiers de Réserve de la Cavalerie (Reserve Cavalry-Officers School) in Saumur
. In 1934, at the age of twenty two, Debré passed the entrance exam and became a member of the Conseil d'État. In 1938, he joined the staff of the Economy Minister Paul Reynaud
.
, Debré was enlisted as a cavalry officer. He was taken prisoner in Artenay
in June 1940 during the Battle of France
but managed to escape in September of that year. He returned to the Conseil d'État, now under the administration of the Vichy regime, and was sworn in by Marshal Philippe Pétain
. In 1942 he was promoted to maître des requêtes
by the Minister of Justice Joseph Bartholomew
. After the German invasion of the free zone in November 1942, Debré's political pétainisme disappeared, and in February 1943 he became involved in the French Resistance
, joining the network Ceux de la Résistance
(CDLR).
During the summer of 1943, General Charles de Gaulle
gave Debré the task of making a list of prefects, or State representatives, who would replace those of the Vichy regime after the liberation. In August 1944 de Gaulle made him Commissaire de la République
for Angers
, and in 1945, the Provisional Government
charged him with the task of reforming the French Civil Service
. Debré created the École nationale d'administration
, whose idea was formulated by Jean Zay
before the war.
Under the Fourth Republic
, Michel Debré at first supported the Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance
, but defected to the Radical-Socialist Party on the advice of General Charles de Gaulle
, who reportedly told him and several other politicians, including Jacques Chaban-Delmas
,"Allez au parti radical. C'est là que vous trouverez les derniers vestiges du sens de l'Etat" – "Go to the radical party. It is there that you will find the last vestiges of the meaning of the state". He then joined the Rally of the French People
and was elected senator of Indre-et-Loire
, a position he held from 1948 to 1958. In 1957, he founded Le Courrier de la colère, a newspaper that fiercely defended French Algeria
and called for the return to power of de Gaulle. In the 2 December 1957 issue, Debré wrote:
This explicit appeal to the insurgency led the socialist politician Alain Savary
to write that "In the case of the OAS insurgency, the soldiers are not the culprit; the culprit is Debré."
(born in 1944), urologist and politician; and his fraternal twin, Jean-Louis Debré
, politician. See Debré family
.
(Minister of Justice) in the cabinet of General de Gaulle on 1 June 1958. He played an important role in drafting the Constitution of the Fifth Republic
, and on its acceptance he took up the new position of Prime Minister of France
, which he held from 8 January 1959 to 1962.
After the 1962 Évian Accords referendum
that ended the Algerian War and gave auto-determination to Algeria was approved by a nearly ten-to-one margin, de Gaulle replaced him with Georges Pompidou
. In November, during the parliamentary elections that followed the dissolution of the National Assembly, he tried to be elected Député
for Indre-et-Loire
. Defeated, in March 1963 he decided to go to Réunion
, an island he had visited for less than twenty-four hours on 10 July 1959 when on a trip with President de Gaulle. This choice reflects Debré's fear that what remained of the French colonial empires
would follow the path trodden by Algeria – that of independence, towards which he was not sympathetic. Debré wanted to take action against the Communist Party of Réunion
that had been founded by Paul Vergès
a few years earlier. The movement sought self-determination
for the island and the removal of its position as an overseas department, and had staged demonstrations
on the island a few day earlier. He also noted that the invalidation of Gabriel Macé's election as Mayor of Saint-Denis
rendered the post open to the opposition, so he took the decision to win over this mandate.
He returned in the government in 1966 as Economy and Finance Minister. After the May 1968 crisis, he became Foreign Minister, then, one year later, he served as Defence Minister of President Georges Pompidou
. Considered as a guardian of the Gaullist orthodoxy, he was marginalized after the election of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
as President of France in 1974. He criticized with virulence his foreign policy. In 1979, he took a major part in the Rally for the Republic
(RPR) campaign against the European federalism and was elected member of the European Parliament
in order to defend the principle of Europe of nations. But later, he accused Jacques Chirac
and the RPR lead to moderate their speech, and so, he was a dissident candidate in the 1981 presidential election
. He obtained only 1,6% of votes.
in April 1963, and succeeded in being elected Député
for Saint-Denis on 6 May despite local opposition to the Ordonnance Debré law he had introduced in 1960, that allowed civil servants in the overseas departments and territories of France
to be recalled to Metropolitan France
if suspected of disturbing public order. Supported by those who rejected autonomy, he immediately became the leader of the local right-wing. This state of affairs would be challenged by Pierre Lagourgue that during the next decade.
To justify the departmentalization of the island that occurred in 1946 and to preserve its inhabitants from the temptation of independence, Debré implemented an economic development
policy, and opened the island's first family planning
center. He proceeded to create numerous canteens in schools that distributed free powdered milk
for children. He personally fought to get Paris to create a second high school on the south of the island, in Le Tampon
, when at the time there was only one, the Lycée Leconte-de-Lisle, that catered for many thousands of inhabitants.
Electoral mandates
European Parliament
Senate of France
National Assembly
General Council
Municipal Council
Changes
Gaullism
Gaullism is a French political ideology based on the thought and action of Resistance leader then president Charles de Gaulle.-Foreign policy:...
politician. He is considered the "father" of the current Constitution of France
Constitution of France
The current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, and replaced that of the Fourth Republic dating from 1946. Charles de Gaulle was the main driving force in introducing the new constitution and inaugurating the Fifth...
, and was the first Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic
French Fifth Republic
The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, introduced on 4 October 1958. The Fifth Republic emerged from the collapse of the French Fourth Republic, replacing the prior parliamentary government with a semi-presidential system...
. He served under President Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
from 1959 to 1962.
Early years
Debré was born in Paris, the son of the well-known Jewish professor Robert DebréRobert Debré
Robert Debré was a French physician at Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris.He gave his name to the most important ....
, who is today considered by many to be the founder of modern pediatrics
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
. Michel Debré himself was a Catholic. He studied at the Lycée Montaigne
Lycée Montaigne
The Lycée Montaigne is a famous French public secondary school. It is located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, near the Jardin du Luxembourg, and was founded in the 1880s....
and then at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand
Lycée Louis-le-Grand
The Lycée Louis-le-Grand is a public secondary school located in Paris, widely regarded as one of the most rigorous in France. Formerly known as the Collège de Clermont, it was named in king Louis XIV of France's honor after he visited the school and offered his patronage.It offers both a...
, obtained a diploma from the École Libre des Sciences Politiques
École Libre des Sciences Politiques
École Libre des Sciences Politiques , often referred to as the École des Sciences Politiques or simply Sciences Po was created in Paris in February 1872 by a group of European intellectuals, politicians and businessmen, which included Hippolyte Taine, Ernest Renan, Albert Sorel, Pierre Paul...
, and a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Paris. He then became a Professor of Law at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. He also joined the École des Officiers de Réserve de la Cavalerie (Reserve Cavalry-Officers School) in Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
. In 1934, at the age of twenty two, Debré passed the entrance exam and became a member of the Conseil d'État. In 1938, he joined the staff of the Economy Minister Paul Reynaud
Paul Reynaud
Paul Reynaud was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany. He was the penultimate Prime Minister of the Third Republic and vice-president of the Democratic Republican Alliance center-right...
.
Career
In 1939, at the beginning of the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Debré was enlisted as a cavalry officer. He was taken prisoner in Artenay
Artenay
Artenay is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
in June 1940 during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
but managed to escape in September of that year. He returned to the Conseil d'État, now under the administration of the Vichy regime, and was sworn in by Marshal Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
. In 1942 he was promoted to maître des requêtes
Maître des requêtes
Masters of Requests are high-level judicial officers of administrative law in France and other European countries that have existed in one form or another since the Middle Ages.-Old Regime France:...
by the Minister of Justice Joseph Bartholomew
Joseph Bartholomew
Joseph Bartholomew was an American judge who served one of the first three Justices of the Supreme Court of North Dakota from 1889 to 1900. He died unexpectedly in 1901 at age 57.-External links:*...
. After the German invasion of the free zone in November 1942, Debré's political pétainisme disappeared, and in February 1943 he became involved in the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
, joining the network Ceux de la Résistance
Ceux de la Résistance
Ceux de la Résistance" was a French resistance movement during the German occupation of France in World War II.At first the members of CDLR distributed copies of the underground newspaper Combat in the north zone of France which was directly occupied by the Germans...
(CDLR).
During the summer of 1943, General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
gave Debré the task of making a list of prefects, or State representatives, who would replace those of the Vichy regime after the liberation. In August 1944 de Gaulle made him Commissaire de la République
Commissioner of the Republic (Provisional Government)
The Commissioners of the Republic or Regional Commissioners of the Republic were government officials appointed as representatives of Charles de Gaulle by the Provisional Government of the French Republic between 1944 and 1946...
for Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, and in 1945, the Provisional Government
Provisional Government of the French Republic
The Provisional Government of the French Republic was an interim government which governed France from 1944 to 1946, following the fall of Vichy France and prior to the Fourth French Republic....
charged him with the task of reforming the French Civil Service
French Civil Service
The French Civil Service is the set of civil servants working for the French government.Not all employees of the state and public institutions or corporations are civil servants; however, the media often incorrectly equate "government employee" or "employee of a public corporation" with...
. Debré created the École nationale d'administration
École nationale d'administration
The École Nationale d'Administration , one of the most prestigious of French graduate schools , was created in 1945 by Charles de Gaulle to democratise access to the senior civil service. It is now entrusted with the selection and initial training of senior French officials...
, whose idea was formulated by Jean Zay
Jean Zay
Jean Zay is a French politician born in Orléans on 6 August 1904 and assassinated 20 June 1944 by the miliciens in Molles . He was the Minister of National Education and Fine Arts from 1936 until 1939....
before the war.
Under the Fourth Republic
French Fourth Republic
The French Fourth Republic was the republican government of France between 1946 and 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Third Republic, which was in place before World War II, and suffered many of the same problems...
, Michel Debré at first supported the Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance
Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance
The Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance was a French political party found at the Liberation and in activity during the Fourth Republic...
, but defected to the Radical-Socialist Party on the advice of General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, who reportedly told him and several other politicians, including Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Chaban-Delmas was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1969 to 1972. In addition, for almost half a century, he was Mayor of Bordeaux and a deputy for the Gironde département....
,"Allez au parti radical. C'est là que vous trouverez les derniers vestiges du sens de l'Etat" – "Go to the radical party. It is there that you will find the last vestiges of the meaning of the state". He then joined the Rally of the French People
Rally of the French People
The Rally of the French People was a French political party, led by Charles de Gaulle.-Foundation:...
and was elected senator of Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire is a department in west-central France named after the Indre and the Loire rivers.-History:Indre-et-Loire is one of the original 83 départements created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, a position he held from 1948 to 1958. In 1957, he founded Le Courrier de la colère, a newspaper that fiercely defended French Algeria
French Algeria
French Algeria lasted from 1830 to 1962, under a variety of governmental systems. From 1848 until independence, the whole Mediterranean region of Algeria was administered as an integral part of France, much like Corsica and Réunion are to this day. The vast arid interior of Algeria, like the rest...
and called for the return to power of de Gaulle. In the 2 December 1957 issue, Debré wrote:
This explicit appeal to the insurgency led the socialist politician Alain Savary
Alain Savary
Alain Savary was a French Socialist politician, deputy to the National Assembly of France during the Fourth and Fifth Republic, chairman of the Socialist Party and a government minister in the 1950s and in 1981, when he was nominated by President François Mitterrand as Minister of National...
to write that "In the case of the OAS insurgency, the soldiers are not the culprit; the culprit is Debré."
Family
Michel Debré had four sons: Vincent Debré (1939–), businessman; François Debré (1942–), journalist; Bernard DebréBernard Debré
Bernard Debré is French urologist at Hôpital Cochin in Paris and a member of the National Assembly of France. He's one of the representants of the city of Paris, and is a member of the Union for a Popular Movement. He is a son of Michel Debré and twin-brother of Jean-Louis Debré.-References:...
(born in 1944), urologist and politician; and his fraternal twin, Jean-Louis Debré
Jean-Louis Debré
Jean-Louis Debré is a conservative French political figure. He was President of the National Assembly of France from 2002 to 2007 and has been President of the Constitutional Council since 2007.-Biography:Debré was born in Toulouse...
, politician. See Debré family
Debré family
The Debré family is a French family including several prominent politicians and physicians. The family's ancestor, rabbi Simon Debré, was born in Westhoffen, Alsace....
.
Government
Michel Debré became the Garde des SceauxKeeper of the seals
The title Keeper of the Seals or equivalent is used in several contexts, denoting the person entitled to keep and authorize use of the Great Seal of a given country. The title may or may not be linked to a particular cabinet or ministerial office.- Canada :...
(Minister of Justice) in the cabinet of General de Gaulle on 1 June 1958. He played an important role in drafting the Constitution of the Fifth Republic
Constitution of France
The current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, and replaced that of the Fourth Republic dating from 1946. Charles de Gaulle was the main driving force in introducing the new constitution and inaugurating the Fifth...
, and on its acceptance he took up the new position of Prime Minister of France
Prime Minister of France
The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
, which he held from 8 January 1959 to 1962.
After the 1962 Évian Accords referendum
French Évian Accords referendum, 1962
A referendum to approve the Évian Accords ending the Algerian War and granting self determination to Algeria was held in France on 8 April 1962...
that ended the Algerian War and gave auto-determination to Algeria was approved by a nearly ten-to-one margin, de Gaulle replaced him with Georges Pompidou
Georges Pompidou
Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 1962 to 1968, holding the longest tenure in this position, and later President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...
. In November, during the parliamentary elections that followed the dissolution of the National Assembly, he tried to be elected Député
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire is a department in west-central France named after the Indre and the Loire rivers.-History:Indre-et-Loire is one of the original 83 départements created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
. Defeated, in March 1963 he decided to go to Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
, an island he had visited for less than twenty-four hours on 10 July 1959 when on a trip with President de Gaulle. This choice reflects Debré's fear that what remained of the French colonial empires
French colonial empires
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
would follow the path trodden by Algeria – that of independence, towards which he was not sympathetic. Debré wanted to take action against the Communist Party of Réunion
Communist Party of Réunion
The Communist Party of Réunion is a Communist political party in the French overseas department of Réunion . The party has one seat in the French National Assembly.-History:...
that had been founded by Paul Vergès
Paul Vergès
Paul Vergès is a Réunionese politician. Vergès founded the Communist Party of Réunion in 1959, a party which he led until he retired in 1993...
a few years earlier. The movement sought self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
for the island and the removal of its position as an overseas department, and had staged demonstrations
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
on the island a few day earlier. He also noted that the invalidation of Gabriel Macé's election as Mayor of Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis, Réunion
Saint-Denis is the préfecture of the French overseas region and department of Réunion, in the Indian Ocean. It is located at the island's northernmost point, close to the mouth of the Rivière Saint-Denis....
rendered the post open to the opposition, so he took the decision to win over this mandate.
He returned in the government in 1966 as Economy and Finance Minister. After the May 1968 crisis, he became Foreign Minister, then, one year later, he served as Defence Minister of President Georges Pompidou
Georges Pompidou
Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 1962 to 1968, holding the longest tenure in this position, and later President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...
. Considered as a guardian of the Gaullist orthodoxy, he was marginalized after the election of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
as President of France in 1974. He criticized with virulence his foreign policy. In 1979, he took a major part in the Rally for the Republic
Rally for the Republic
The Rally for the Republic , was a French right-wing political party. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic , it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaullism...
(RPR) campaign against the European federalism and was elected member of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in order to defend the principle of Europe of nations. But later, he accused Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
and the RPR lead to moderate their speech, and so, he was a dissident candidate in the 1981 presidential election
French presidential election, 1981
The French presidential election of 1981 took place on 10 May 1981, giving the presidency of France to François Mitterrand, the first Socialist president of the Fifth Republic....
. He obtained only 1,6% of votes.
Politics in Réunion
Michel Debré arrived on the island of RéunionRéunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
in April 1963, and succeeded in being elected Député
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Saint-Denis on 6 May despite local opposition to the Ordonnance Debré law he had introduced in 1960, that allowed civil servants in the overseas departments and territories of France
Overseas departments and territories of France
The French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...
to be recalled to Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica...
if suspected of disturbing public order. Supported by those who rejected autonomy, he immediately became the leader of the local right-wing. This state of affairs would be challenged by Pierre Lagourgue that during the next decade.
To justify the departmentalization of the island that occurred in 1946 and to preserve its inhabitants from the temptation of independence, Debré implemented an economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
policy, and opened the island's first family planning
Family planning
Family planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
center. He proceeded to create numerous canteens in schools that distributed free powdered milk
Powdered milk
Powdered milk is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it; milk powder has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated, due to its low moisture content. Another purpose is to reduce its bulk for...
for children. He personally fought to get Paris to create a second high school on the south of the island, in Le Tampon
Le Tampon
Le Tampon is the fourth-largest commune in the French overseas department of Réunion. It is located on the south-central part of the island of Réunion, adjacent to Saint-Pierre....
, when at the time there was only one, the Lycée Leconte-de-Lisle, that catered for many thousands of inhabitants.
Political career
Governmental functions- Prime Minister: 1959–1962.
- Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice: 1958–1959.
- Minister of Economy and Finance: 1966–1968.
- Minister of Foreign Affairs: 1968–1969.
- Minister of Defense: 1969–1973.
Electoral mandates
European Parliament
- Member of European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
: 1979–1980 (Resignation). Elected in 1979.
Senate of France
- Senator of Indre-et-LoireIndre-et-LoireIndre-et-Loire is a department in west-central France named after the Indre and the Loire rivers.-History:Indre-et-Loire is one of the original 83 départements created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
: 1948–1959 Became Prime minister in 1959. Elected in 1948, reelected in 1954.
National Assembly
- Member of the National Assembly of France for RéunionRéunionRéunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
: 1963–1966 (Became minister in 1966), 1973–1988. Elected in 1963, reelected in 1967, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1981, 1986.
General Council
- General councillor of Indre-et-LoireIndre-et-LoireIndre-et-Loire is a department in west-central France named after the Indre and the Loire rivers.-History:Indre-et-Loire is one of the original 83 départements created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
: 1951–1970. Reelected in 1958, 1964.
Municipal Council
- Mayor of AmboiseAmboiseAmboise is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It lies on the banks of the Loire River, east of Tours. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court...
: 1966–1989. Reelected in 1971, 1977, 1983. - Municipal councillor of AmboiseAmboiseAmboise is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It lies on the banks of the Loire River, east of Tours. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court...
: 1959–1989. Reelected in 1965, 1971, 1977, 1983.
Debré's Government, 8 January 1959 – 15 April 1962
- Michel Debré – Prime Minister
- Maurice Couve de MurvilleMaurice Couve de MurvilleMaurice Couve de Murville was a French diplomat and politician who was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1958 to 1968 and Prime Minister from 1968 to 1969 under the presidency of General de Gaulle....
– Minister of Foreign Affairs - Pierre GuillaumatPierre GuillaumatPierre Guillaumat was a Minister of National Education and Minister of the Armies under French President Charles De Gaulle and founder of the Elf Aquitaine oil company in 1967. He was the son of French general Adolphe Guillaumat....
– Minister of Armies - Jean BerthoinJean BerthoinJean Berthoin was a French Politician....
– Minister of the Interior - Antoine PinayAntoine PinayAntoine Pinay |Rhône]], France – 13 December 1994) was a French conservative politician. He served as Prime Minister of France in 1952.-Life:As a young man, Pinay fought in World War I and injured his arm so that it was paralyzed for the rest of his life....
– Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs - Jean-Marcel JeanneneyJean-Marcel JeanneneyJean-Marcel Jeanneney was a minister in various French governments in the 1950s and 60s, as well as France's first ambassador to Algeria in the immediate aftermath of the Algerian War...
– Minister of Commerce and Industry - Paul BaconPaul BaconPaul Bacon was a French politician.During World War 2, Bacon was active in the French Resistance. He was a member of Georges Bidault's National Liberation Movement, and distributed a manifesto about trade unionism in December 1940. Bacon was arrested by the Gestapo in 1943.After the war, Bacon...
– Minister of Labour - Edmond MicheletEdmond MicheletEdmond Michelet was a French politician.On 17 June 1940, he distributed tracts calling to continue the war in all Brive-la-Gaillarde's mailboxes...
– Minister of Justice - André BoullocheAndré BoullocheAndré Boulloche was a French politician who belonged to the Socialist party....
– Minister of National Education - Raymond TribouletRaymond TribouletRaymond Triboulet was a French politician. He was a leading World War II resistance fighter who helped U.S., Canadian, and British troops invade France, which was then occupied by Nazi Germany.-Biography:...
– Minister of Veterans - André MalrauxAndré MalrauxAndré Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
– Minister of Cultural Affairs - Roger Houdet – Minister of Agriculture
- Robert BuronRobert BuronRobert Buron was a French politician and Minister of Finance from 20 January 1955 to 23 February 1955 and Minister of Public Works, Transport, and Tourism during Charles de Gaulle's third term from 9 June 1958 to 8 January 1959.Buron was born in Paris, where he also died. He was kidnapped during...
– Minister of Public Works and Transport - Bernard ChenotBernard ChenotBernard Chenot was a French politician and senior official.-Life:Bernard Chenot was the son of a Parisian barrister. He became a member of the Conseil d'Etat during the Third Republic, and worked in several government departments. He remained in his position under the Vichy government after 1940...
– Minister of Public Health and Population - Bernard Cornut-GentilleBernard Cornut-GentilleBernard Cornut-Gentille was a French administrator and politician.Born in Brest, Finistère, Cornut-Gentille studied at the École Libre des Sciences Politiques. In 1943 he was appointed as the Subprefect of Reims, but resigned to assist the Free French delegate Émile Bollaert...
– Minister of Posts and Telecommunications - Roger FreyRoger FreyRoger Frey was a French politician. He was Minister of the Interior and president of the Constitutional Council of France.-Monokini prosecution:...
– Minister of Information - Pierre SudreauPierre SudreauPierre Sudreau is a former French politician. He was born in Paris.He announced his resignation as education minister in October 1962 to protest a proposal by Charles de Gaulle to amend the constitution.-References:...
– Minister of Construction
Changes
- 27 March 1959 – Robert LecourtRobert LecourtRobert Lecourt was a French politician and lawyer, judge and the fourth President of the European Court of Justice.Lecourt was born in Pavilly, Seine-Maritime...
enters the Cabinet as Minister of Cooperation. - 27 May 1959 – Henri RochereauHenri RochereauHenri Rochereau was a French politician and European Commissioner.Henri was the son of Victor Rochereau, a National Assembly of France député for the Vendée department...
succeeds Houdet as Minister of Agriculture. - 28 May 1959 – Pierre ChatenetPierre ChatenetPierre Chatenet was a French politician born 6 March 1917 in Paris and died 4 September 1997 in Tafers. He served as French Interior Minister from 1959 to 1961. From 1962 he became the last President of the Commission of the European Atomic Energy Community, until the body was merged with the...
succeeds Berthoin as Minister of the Interior. - 23 December 1959 – Debré succeeds Boulloche as interim Minister of National Education.
- 13 January 1960 – Wilfrid Baumgartner succeeds Pinay as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.
- 15 January 1960 – Louis JoxeLouis JoxeLouis Joxe was a French statesman, judge and politician.-Career:* Ambassador of France to the USSR * Ambassador of France to the Federal Republic of Germany...
succeeds Debré as Minister of National Education - 5 February 1960 – Pierre MessmerPierre MessmerPierre Joseph Auguste Messmer was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Minister of Armies under Charles de Gaulle from 1960 to 1969 – the longest serving since Étienne François, duc de Choiseul under Louis XV – and then as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1972 to 1974...
succeeds Guillaumat as Minister of Armies. Robert LecourtRobert LecourtRobert Lecourt was a French politician and lawyer, judge and the fourth President of the European Court of Justice.Lecourt was born in Pavilly, Seine-Maritime...
becomes Minister of Overseas Departments and Territories and of the Sahara. His previous office of Minister of Cooperation is abolished. Michel Maurice-Bokanowski succeeds Cornut-Gentille as Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. Louis Terrenoire succeeds Frey as Minister of Information. - 23 November 1960 – Louis JoxeLouis JoxeLouis Joxe was a French statesman, judge and politician.-Career:* Ambassador of France to the USSR * Ambassador of France to the Federal Republic of Germany...
becomes Minister of Algerian Affairs. Pierre GuillaumatPierre GuillaumatPierre Guillaumat was a Minister of National Education and Minister of the Armies under French President Charles De Gaulle and founder of the Elf Aquitaine oil company in 1967. He was the son of French general Adolphe Guillaumat....
succeeds Joxe as interim Minister of National Education. - 20 February 1961 – Lucien PayeLucien PayeLucien Paye was a former French politician.He was doctor of letters. He was Minister of National Education from 20 February 1961 to 15 April 1962 in the Government Michel Debré, then senior representative of France in Senegal in 1962. He was the first ambassador of France in China from 1964 to 1969...
succeeds Guillaumat as Minister of National Education. - 6 May 1961 – Roger FreyRoger FreyRoger Frey was a French politician. He was Minister of the Interior and president of the Constitutional Council of France.-Monokini prosecution:...
succeeds Chatenet as Minister of the Interior. - 18 May 1961 – Jean FoyerJean FoyerJean Foyer was a French politician and minister. He studied law and became a law professor at the university...
enters the ministry as Minister of Cooperation. - 24 August 1961 – Bernard ChenotBernard ChenotBernard Chenot was a French politician and senior official.-Life:Bernard Chenot was the son of a Parisian barrister. He became a member of the Conseil d'Etat during the Third Republic, and worked in several government departments. He remained in his position under the Vichy government after 1940...
succeeds Michelet as Minister of Justice. Joseph FontanetJoseph FontanetJoseph Fontanet was a French politician.He was first elected to Parliament in 1956 as MP for Savoie. In his 17 years in Parliament he held various cabinet positions including Health, Labour and Employment, and trade and industry. He succeeded Bernard Chenot, one of the first openly gay officials...
succeeds Chenot as Minister of Public Health and Population. Edgard PisaniEdgard PisaniEdgard Pisani was a French politician. He was born in Tunis and his parents were Maltese immigrants. He spent his childhood in Tunisia and later studied in Paris. Pisani holds a "licence de lettres" from La Sorbonne. His second marriage was with the daughter of André Le Troquer.He held positions...
succeeds Rochereau as Minister of Agriculture. Louis JacquinotLouis JacquinotLouis Jacquinot was a French lawyer and politician, and chief of Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré's office.Jacquinot was born in Gondrecourt-le-Château in 1898. Entering parliament in 1932, he later served for a short time as under-secretary of state for home affairs in Paul Reynaud's cabinet...
succeeds Lecourt as Minister of Overseas Departments and Territories and Sahara. Terrenoire ceases to be Minister of Information, and the office is abolished. - 19 January 1962 – Valéry Giscard d'EstaingValéry Giscard d'EstaingValéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
succeeds Baumgartner as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.