Prime Minister of France Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of the French Republic
Flag of France
Emblem of the French Republic
Incumbent Sébastien Lecornu since 9 September 2025
Council of Ministers of the French Republic Government of France
Style	Mr. Prime Minister (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Member of	Council of Ministers Council of State National Defence and Security Council
Reports to	President Parliament
Residence	Hôtel Matignon
Seat	Paris, France
Appointer	President
Term length	Not fixed
Constituting instrument	Constitution of France
Precursor	Several titles were used since the Ancien Régime
Inaugural holder	Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
Formation	9 July 1815; 210 years ago (1815-07-09)
Salary	€178,920 annually

The Prime Minister of France (French: Premier ministre français ) is a very important leader in the French Republic. They are the head of the government and lead the Council of Ministers. Even though the Prime Minister leads the government, the President is the one who chairs the meetings.

The Prime Minister holds the second-highest position in France, right after the President. The President chooses who will be Prime Minister. However, the President cannot simply fire the Prime Minister; they can only ask them to resign. The entire French government, including the Prime Minister, can be removed by the National Assembly. When a Prime Minister is chosen, they suggest a list of ministers to the President. The Prime Minister's decisions are checked by a special court system. Sometimes, they get advice from the Council of State. The Prime Minister also helps decide the budget for different government departments.

The current Prime Minister is Sébastien Lecornu. He was appointed on September 9, 2025.

How the Prime Minister is Chosen
What the Prime Minister Does
A Brief History of the Role
Former Prime Ministers of France
See also

How the Prime Minister is Chosen

The President picks the Prime Minister. In theory, the President can choose anyone. But in reality, the choice must match what the majority of members in the National Assembly want. This is because the National Assembly can make the government resign if they don't agree with it.

Sometimes, the President and the National Assembly have different political parties in charge. This situation is called "cohabitation." During cohabitation, the Prime Minister is mainly responsible to the Parliament, not just the President. For example, in 1986, President François Mitterrand (from one party) chose Jacques Chirac (from a different party) to be Prime Minister because Chirac's party had the most support in the National Assembly.

Most Prime Ministers come from the National Assembly. But sometimes, a President might choose someone who hasn't been elected. This could be because they have a lot of experience in government work or business. For instance, Dominique de Villepin was Prime Minister from 2005 to 2007 without holding an elected office before.

What the Prime Minister Does

The Prime Minister is in charge of guiding the government's actions. The government's main job is to decide and carry out the country's policies, especially for things happening inside France. The President usually focuses more on national defense and foreign policy. Other government members are chosen by the President, but only after the Prime Minister suggests them.

Usually, the Prime Minister works closely with the President. But during "cohabitation," when the President and Prime Minister are from different political parties, the Prime Minister often takes the lead on domestic issues. The President then focuses more on defense and foreign affairs.

The Prime Minister can also use a special process to pass a bill in the National Assembly. This means they can say that if the Assembly doesn't support the bill, the government will resign. If the Assembly doesn't vote against the government, the bill passes automatically. This helps pass important laws that might be difficult otherwise.

The Prime Minister is the only member of the government who can introduce new laws to the Parliament. Before the President can dissolve the National Assembly (which means calling for new elections), they must talk to the Prime Minister and the leaders of both parts of Parliament.

A Brief History of the Role

Hôtel Matignon, the official residence of the prime minister

Before the current system, during the Third Republic, the head of government was called the "President of the Council of Ministers." People outside France often called them "prime minister." This leader had powers similar to the prime minister of the United Kingdom. However, France's Parliament had many political parties, and it was hard for governments to stay in power. Cabinets often changed twice a year, leading to periods with only temporary governments.

In the mid-20th century, France created a new system called the Fifth Republic. This is when the position was officially named "Prime Minister" and took its current form. The 1958 Constitution made the Prime Minister's role stronger. It limited the Parliament's power to remove the government.

Since then, a government has only been removed by a vote of no confidence twice. The first time was in 1962. The second time was in 2024, when Michel Barnier's government was removed after using a special rule to pass the Social Security budget without a vote.

Former Prime Ministers of France

As of 16 September 2025, there are sixteen living former prime ministers. The most recent former prime minister to pass away was Jacques Chirac (who served from 1974–76 and 1986–88) on September 26, 2019.