List of prime ministers of France facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

France has a special leader for its government, called the Prime Minister. This title has been used since 1959. The first Prime Minister under this name was Michel Debré. Before 1959, the person leading the French government had different titles. For example, between 1815 and 1958, they were often called the President of the Council of Ministers. It's important not to mix up the Prime Minister with the President. The President is the head of state (like a country's main representative), and they choose who will be the Prime Minister, who is the head of government (the one who runs the country day-to-day).

Early Leaders of France (16th to 19th Century)

Kingdom of France (843–1792)

For many centuries, when France was a kingdom ruled by kings, there wasn't an official 'Prime Minister' title. However, some kings had very important advisors, sometimes called 'chief ministers'. These ministers helped the king make big decisions and manage the country. They were like the king's right-hand person, even if their title wasn't always the same.

French First Republic (1792–1804)

During the First French Republic, France tried out many different ways to govern itself. There wasn't one single leader called a Prime Minister. Instead, groups like the National Convention and the Directory held power. Later, the Consulate was led by Napoleon Bonaparte as the First Consul. This was a time of big changes in how France was run.

French First Empire (1804–1815)

When Napoleon became Emperor, he was the most powerful person in France. He was both the head of state and the head of government. This meant he made all the big decisions and led the country himself, so there was no separate Prime Minister.

First Restoration (1814–1815)

After Napoleon, France became a kingdom again for a short time. During this period, called the First Restoration, kings like Louis XVIII ruled. They had chief ministers who helped them lead the government. One important figure was Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord.

Hundred Days (1815)

The Hundred Days was a short period when Napoleon returned to power. Again, he was the sole leader. After he left power, his young son, Napoleon II, was briefly named Emperor, but he was too young to rule. During this time, a group called the Executive Commission, led by Joseph Fouché, managed the government.

Bourbon Restoration (1815–1830)

After Napoleon's final defeat, the kings from the Bourbon family returned to rule France. This time was known as the Bourbon Restoration. During this period, the head of government was called the President of the Council of Ministers. These leaders worked with the king to run the country. Some important figures included Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord and Joseph de Villèle.

July Monarchy (1830–1848)

The July Monarchy followed the Bourbon Restoration. During this time, Louis Philippe I was the 'Citizen King,' and the head of government was still called the President of the Council of Ministers. Leaders like Casimir Pierre Périer and François Guizot played important roles in leading the government during this period.

Second French Republic (1848–1852)

France became a republic again for a short time, known as the Second French Republic. During this period, there were different ways of leading the government. Sometimes, a group called the Executive Commission was in charge, and other times, a single person, like Louis-Eugène Cavaignac, held a lot of power. Later, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte became President, and he appointed leaders like Odilon Barrot to head the Council of Ministers.

Second French Empire (1852–1870)

Napoleon III (the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte) established the Second French Empire. Like his uncle, he held a lot of power as Emperor. For much of this time, he ruled directly, meaning there wasn't a separate 'Cabinet Chief' or Prime Minister. Towards the end of his rule, figures like Émile Ollivier and Charles Cousin-Montauban served as important ministers.

Modern French Government Leaders (1870-Present)

Third French Republic (1870–1940)

The Third French Republic was a long period where France was a republic again. During this time, the head of government was called the President of the Council of Ministers. Many different people held this important role, working with the President to lead the country. Some notable leaders included Jules Armand Dufaure, Jules Ferry, and Georges Clemenceau.

French State (1940–1944)

During World War II, France had a different type of government called the French State. Marshal Philippe Pétain was the Chief of State. For a while, he also led the Council of Ministers. Later, Pierre Laval became the Chief of the Government, working under Pétain.

Provisional Government of the French Republic (1944–1946)

After World War II, France was led by a Provisional Government. The leader of this government was called the Chairman of the Provisional Government. Charles de Gaulle was a very important figure during this time, leading France as it rebuilt after the war. Other chairmen included Félix Gouin and Georges Bidault.

Fourth French Republic (1946–1958)

The Fourth French Republic continued after the war. The head of government was still known as the President of the Council of Ministers. This period saw many different leaders, such as Paul Ramadier, Robert Schuman, and Pierre Mendès France, as France worked to recover and modernize.

Fifth French Republic (since 1958)

Since 1958, France has been under the Fifth Republic, and the head of government is officially called the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister works closely with the President to manage the country's affairs. This system has seen many leaders, each contributing to France's history.

Prime Ministers

S. No.	Portrait	Prime Minister (Lifespan)	Term of office			Political party (Political coalition)		Government	Legislature (Election)	President (Term)
S. No.	Portrait	Prime Minister (Lifespan)	Term of office		Time in office	Political party (Political coalition)		Government	Legislature (Election)	President (Term)
77	Michel Debré	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 Charles de Gaulle (1959–1969)
78	Georges Pompidou	Georges Pompidou (1911–1974)	14 April 1962	7 December 1962	6 years, 87 days		Union for the New Republic	Pompidou I [fr]	I (1958)
			7 December 1962	8 January 1966				Pompidou II [fr]	II (1962)
			8 January 1966	7 April 1967				Pompidou III [fr]	II (1962)
			7 April 1967	10 July 1968				Pompidou IV [fr]	III (1967)
79	Maurice Couve de Murville	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)
80	Jacques Chaban-Delmas	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 Georges Pompidou (1969–1974)
81	Pierre Messmer	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]
82	Jacques Chirac	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 Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1974–1981)
83	Raymond Barre	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)
84	Pierre Mauroy	Pierre Mauroy (1928–2013)	21 May 1981	23 June 1981	3 years, 57 days		Socialist Party	Mauroy I [fr]	VI (1978)	21	François Mitterrand François Mitterrand (1981–1995)
			23 June 1981	22 March 1983				Mauroy II [fr]	VII (1981)
			22 March 1983	17 July 1984				Mauroy III [fr]
85	Laurent Fabius	Laurent Fabius (b. 1946)	17 July 1984	20 March 1986	1 year, 246 days		Socialist Party	Fabius [fr]
(82)	Jacques Chirac	Jacques Chirac (1932–2019)	20 March 1986	10 May 1988	2 years, 51 days		Rally for the Republic	Chirac II [fr]	VIII (1986)
86	Michel Rocard	Michel Rocard (1930–2016)	10 May 1988	28 June 1988	3 years, 5 days		Socialist Party	Rocard I	VIII (1986)
86	Michel Rocard	Michel Rocard (1930–2016)	28 June 1988	15 May 1991	3 years, 5 days		Socialist Party	Rocard II	IX (1988)
87	Édith Cresson	Édith Cresson (b. 1934)	15 May 1991	2 April 1992	323 days		Socialist Party	Cresson [fr]
88	Pierre Bérégovoy	Pierre Bérégovoy (1925–1993)	2 April 1992	29 March 1993	361 days		Socialist Party	Bérégovoy [fr]
89	Édouard Balladur	Édouard Balladur (b. 1929)	29 March 1993	17 May 1995	2 years, 49 days		Rally for the Republic	Balladur [fr]	X (1993)
90	Alain Juppé	Alain Juppé (b. 1945)	17 May 1995	7 November 1995	2 years, 16 days		Rally for the Republic	Juppé I [fr]		22	Jacques Chirac Jacques Chirac (1995–2007)
90	Alain Juppé	Alain Juppé (b. 1945)	7 November 1995	2 June 1997	2 years, 16 days		Rally for the Republic	Juppé II [fr]
91	Lionel Jospin	Lionel Jospin (b. 1937)	2 June 1997	6 May 2002	4 years, 338 days		Socialist Party	Jospin	XI (1997)
92	Jean-Pierre Raffarin	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]	XI (1997)
			17 June 2002	31 March 2004				Raffarin II [fr]	XII (2002)
			31 March 2004	31 May 2005				Raffarin III [fr]
93	Dominique de Villepin	Dominique de Villepin (b. 1953)	31 May 2005	17 May 2007	1 year, 351 days		Union for a Popular Movement	Villepin [fr]
94	François Fillon	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 Nicolas Sarkozy (2007–2012)
			19 June 2007	14 November 2010				Fillon II [fr]	XIII (2007)
			14 November 2010	15 May 2012				Fillon III
95	Jean-Marc Ayrault	Jean-Marc Ayrault (b. 1950)	15 May 2012	21 June 2012	1 year, 320 days		Socialist Party	Ayrault I		24	François Hollande François Hollande (2012–2017)
95	Jean-Marc Ayrault	Jean-Marc Ayrault (b. 1950)	21 June 2012	31 March 2014	1 year, 320 days		Socialist Party	Ayrault II	XIV (2012)
96	Manuel Valls	Manuel Valls (b. 1962)	31 March 2014	26 August 2014	2 years, 250 days		Socialist Party	Valls I
96	Manuel Valls	Manuel Valls (b. 1962)	26 August 2014	6 December 2016	2 years, 250 days		Socialist Party	Valls II
97	Bernard Cazeneuve	Bernard Cazeneuve (b. 1963)	6 December 2016	15 May 2017	160 days		Socialist Party	Cazeneuve
98	Édouard Philippe	Édouard Philippe (b. 1970)	15 May 2017	21 June 2017	3 years, 49 days		The Republicans, later Independent	Philippe I		25	Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (2017–present)
98	Édouard Philippe	Édouard Philippe (b. 1970)	21 June 2017	3 July 2020	3 years, 49 days		The Republicans, later Independent	Philippe II	XV (2017)
99	Jean Castex	Jean Castex (b. 1965)	3 July 2020	16 May 2022	1 year, 317 days		Independent	Castex
100	Élisabeth Borne	Élisabeth Borne (b. 1961)	16 May 2022	4 July 2022	1 year, 238 days		Renaissance	Borne I
100	Élisabeth Borne	Élisabeth Borne (b. 1961)	4 July 2022	9 January 2024	1 year, 238 days		Renaissance	Borne II	XVI (2022)
101	Gabriel Attal	Gabriel Attal (b. 1989)	9 January 2024	5 September 2024	240 days		Renaissance	Attal	XVI (2022)
102	Michel Barnier	Michel Barnier (b. 1951)	5 September 2024	13 December 2024	99 days		The Republicans	Barnier	XVII (2024)
103	François Bayrou	François Bayrou (b. 1951)	13 December 2024	9 September 2025	270 days		Democratic Movement	Bayrou
104	Sébastien Lecornu	Sébastien Lecornu (b. 1986)	9 September 2025	6 October 2025	27 days		Renaissance	Lecornu

Living Former Prime Ministers

Name	Mandate	Date of birth
Laurent Fabius	1984 – 1986	(1946-08-20) 20 August 1946 (age 79)
Édith Cresson	1991 – 1992	(1934-01-27) 27 January 1934 (age 91)
Édouard Balladur	1993 – 1995	(1929-05-02) 2 May 1929 (age 96)
Alain Juppé	1995 – 1997	(1945-08-15) 15 August 1945 (age 80)
Lionel Jospin	1997 – 2002	(1937-07-12) 12 July 1937 (age 88)
Jean-Pierre Raffarin	2002 – 2005	(1948-08-03) 3 August 1948 (age 77)
Dominique de Villepin	2005 – 2007	(1953-11-14) 14 November 1953 (age 71)
François Fillon	2007 – 2012	(1954-03-04) 4 March 1954 (age 71)
Jean-Marc Ayrault	2012 – 2014	(1950-01-25) 25 January 1950 (age 75)
Manuel Valls	2014 – 2016	(1962-08-13) 13 August 1962 (age 63)
Bernard Cazeneuve	2016 – 2017	(1963-06-02) 2 June 1963 (age 62)
Édouard Philippe	2017 – 2020	(1970-11-28) 28 November 1970 (age 54)
Jean Castex	2020 – 2022	(1965-06-25) 25 June 1965 (age 60)
Élisabeth Borne	2022 – 2024	(1961-04-18) 18 April 1961 (age 64)
Gabriel Attal	2024	(1989-03-16) 16 March 1989 (age 36)
Michel Barnier	2024	(1951-01-09) 9 January 1951 (age 74)
François Bayrou	2024 – 2025	(1951-05-25) 25 May 1951 (age 74)
Sébastien Lecornu	2025	(1986-06-11) 11 June 1986 (age 39)

The most recent death of a former prime minister was that of Jacques Chirac (1974 – 1976/1986 – 1988), who died on 26 September 2019 at the age of 86.