Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (; 15 January 1912 – 2 August 1996) was the first Prime Minister of the

French Fifth Republic The Fifth Republic (french: Cinquième République) is France's current republic, republican system of government. It was established on 4 October 1958 by Charles de Gaulle under the Constitution of France, Constitution of the Fifth Republic.. ...

. He is considered the "father" of the current

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 it replaced the Constitution of the Fourth Republic of 1946 with the exception of the preamble per a Constitu ...

. He served under President

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

from 1959 to 1962. In terms of political personality, Debré was intense and immovable and had a tendency to rhetorical extremism.

Early life

Debré was born in Paris, the son of Jeanne-Marguerite (Debat-Ponsan) and

Robert Debré Robert Debré (7 December 1882 – 29 April 1978) was a French physician ( pediatrician) at Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris. The largest pediatric hospital in Paris, l' Hôpital Robert-Debré - located in the North-East part of Paris ...

, a well-known professor of medicine, who is today considered by many to be the founder of modern

pediatrics Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until th ...

. His maternal grandfather was academic painter Édouard Debat-Ponsan. Debré's father was Jewish, and his grandfather was a rabbi. Debré himself was

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

. He studied at the Lycée Montaigne and then at the

Lycée Louis-le-Grand The Lycée Louis-le-Grand (), also referred to simply as Louis-le-Grand or by its acronym LLG, is a public Lycée (French secondary school, also known as sixth form college) located on rue Saint-Jacques in central Paris. It was founded in the ...

, obtained a diploma from the

École Libre des Sciences Politiques , motto_lang = fr , mottoeng = Roots of the Future , type = Public research university''Grande école'' , established = , founder = Émile Boutmy , accreditation ...

, and a PhD in

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

from the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

. He then became a Professor of Law at the

. He also joined the École des Officiers de Réserve de la Cavalerie (Reserve Cavalry-Officers School) in

Saumur Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...

. 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 (; 15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany. Reynaud opposed the Munich Agreement of ...

Early career

In 1939, at the beginning of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Debré was enlisted as a cavalry officer. He was taken prisoner in Artenay in June 1940 during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

but managed to escape in September. He returned to the Conseil d'État, now under the administration of the

Vichy regime Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...

and was sworn in by Marshal

Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), commonly known as Philippe Pétain (, ) or Marshal Pétain (french: Maréchal Pétain), was a French general who attained the position of Marshal of France at the end of World ...

. In 1942, he was promoted to ''

maître des requêtes A Master of Requests () is a counsel of the French ''Conseil d'État'' (Council of State), a high-level judicial officer of administrative law in France. The office has existed in one form or another since the Middle Ages. The occupational title ...

'' by the Minister of Justice. After the German invasion of the free zone in November 1942, Debré's political Pétainism disappeared, and in February 1943, he became involved in the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

by joining the network

Ceux de la Résistance ''Ceux de la Résistance'' ("Those of the Resistance") (CDLR) 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 nor ...

(CDLR). During the summer of 1943, General

gave Debré the task of making a list of

prefects Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

, ho would replace those of the Vichy regime after the Liberation. In August 194,4 de Gaulle made him Commissaire de la République for

Angers Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the prov ...

, and in 1945, the

Provisional Government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, or a transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition generally in the cases of a newly formed state or f ...

charged him with the task of reforming the

French Civil Service The French Civil Service (french: Fonction publique française) is the set of civil servants (''fonctionnaires'') working for the Government of France. Not all employees of the state and public institutions or corporations are civil servants; howe ...

. Debré created the

École nationale d'administration The École nationale d'administration (generally referred to as ENA, en, National School of Administration) was a French ''grande école'', created in 1945 by President of France, President Charles de Gaulle and principal author of the Constitu ...

, whose idea was formulated by Jean Zay before the war. Under the Fourth Republic, Debré at first supported the

Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance The Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance (french: Union démocratique et socialiste de la Résistance or UDSR) was a French political party founded after the liberation of France from German occupation and mainly active during the Fo ...

but defected to the Radical-Socialist Party on the advice de Gaulle, who reportedly told him and several other politicians, including

Jacques Chaban-Delmas Jacques Chaban-Delmas (; 7 March 1915 – 10 November 2000) was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1969 to 1972. He was the Mayor of Bordeaux from 1947 to 1995 and a deputy for the Gironde ''d� ...

, ''Allez au parti radical. C'est là que vous trouverez les derniers vestiges du sens de l'Etat.'' ("Go to the Radical Party. It's there that you will find the last vestiges of the meaning of the state".) Debré then joined the

Rally of the French People The Rally of the French People (french: Rassemblement du Peuple Français, RPF) was a French political party, led by Charles de Gaulle. Foundation The RPF was founded by Charles de Gaulle in Strasbourg on 14 April 1947, one year after his resign ...

and was elected senator of

Indre-et-Loire Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it ...

, a position that 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: Alger to 1839, then afterwards; unofficially , ar, الجزائر المستعمرة), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of French colonisation of Algeria. French rule in the region began in 1830 with the ...

and called for the return to power of de Gaulle. In the 2 December 1957 issue, Debré wrote: The explicit appeal to the insurgency led the socialist politician

Alain Savary Alain Savary (25 April 191817 February 1988) was a French Socialist politician, deputy to the National Assembly of France during the Fourth and Fifth Republic, chairman of the Socialist Party (PS) and a government minister in the 1950s and ...

to write, "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 (1942–2020), journalist;

Bernard Debré Bernard Debré (30 September 194413 September 2020) was a French urologist at Hôpital Cochin and a member ( deputy) of the National Assembly of France. He was one of the representatives of the city of Paris, and was a member of the Union ...

(1944–2020),

urologist Urology (from Greek οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and ''-logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary-tract system and the reproductive organ ...

and politician; and his fraternal twin,

Jean-Louis Debré Jean-Louis Debré (; born 30 September 1944) is a former French judge and politician who served as President of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007 and President of the Constitutional Council from 2007 to 2016.Debré family.

Government

Michel Debré became the

Garde des Sceaux 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 offic ...

(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 The current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic , and it replaced the Constitution of the Fourth Republic of 1946 with the exception of the preamble per a Consti ...

, and on its acceptance he took up the new position of

Prime Minister of France The prime minister of France (french: link=no, Premier ministre français), officially the prime minister of the French Republic, is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of the Council of Ministers. The prime minister ...

, which he held from 8 January 1959 to 1962. After the 1962 Évian Accords referendum that ended the

Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

and gave self-determination to Algeria was approved by a nearly ten-to-one margin, de Gaulle replaced Debré with

Georges Pompidou Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou ( , ; 5 July 19112 April 1974) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1969 until his death in 1974. He previously was Prime Minister of France of President Charles de Gaulle from 1962 to 196 ...

. In November, during the parliamentary elections that followed the dissolution of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

, Debré tried to be elected as

deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spai ...

for

. Defeated, he in March 1963 decided to go to

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

, an island that he had visited for less than 24 hours on 10 July 1959, on a trip with President de Gaulle. The choice reflects Debré's fear that what remained of the

French colonial empires The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...

would follow the path trodden by Algeria: that of independence for which he was not sympathetic. Debré wanted to take action against the

Communist Party of Réunion The Communist Party of Réunion (french: Parti Communiste Réunionnais, PCR) is a communist political party in the French overseas department of Réunion (in the Indian Ocean). History PCR was founded in 1959, as the French Communist Party (P ...

, which had been founded by

Paul Vergès Paul Vergès (5 March 1925 – 11/12 November 2016) was a Réunionese politician. Born in Ubon Ratchathani, Siam to a French diplomat father and Vietnamese mother. Vergès founded the Communist Party of Réunion in 1960, a party which he led unt ...

a few years earlier. The movement sought

self-determination The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...

for the island and the removal of its position as an

overseas department The overseas departments and regions of France (french: départements et régions d'outre-mer, ; ''DROM'') are departments of France that are outside metropolitan France, the European part of France. They have exactly the same status as mainlan ...

and had staged

demonstrations Demonstration may refer to: * Demonstration (acting), part of the Brechtian approach to acting * Demonstration (military), an attack or show of force on a front where a decision is not sought * Demonstration (political), a political rally or prote ...

on the island a few days earlier. He also noted that the invalidation of Gabriel Macé's election as Mayor of Saint-Denis rendered the post open to the opposition and so he took the decision to contest it. Debré returned in the government in 1966 as Economy and Finance Minister. After the May 1968 crisis, he became Foreign Minister and, one year later, served as Defence Minister of President

. In that role, he became a hated figure of the left because of his determination to expropriate the land of 107 peasant farmers and shepherds on the

Larzac The Larzac, also known as the Causse of Larzac (French: ''Causse du Larzac''), is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France, situated between Millau (in the département of l'Aveyron) and Lodève (in the départem ...

plateau to extend an existing military base. The resulting civil disobedience campaign was ultimately victorious. Considered as a guardian of the Gaullist orthodoxy, Debré was marginalised after the election of

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Valéry René Marie Georges Giscard d'Estaing (, , ; 2 February 19262 December 2020), also known as Giscard or VGE, was a French politician who served as President of France from 1974 to 1981. After serving as Minister of Finance under prime ...

as President of France in 1974, whose foreign policy Debré criticised with virulence. In 1979, Debré took a major part in the

Rally for the Republic The Rally for the Republic (french: Rassemblement pour la République ; RPR ), was a Gaullist and conservative political party in France. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR), it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 a ...

(RPR) campaign against European federalism and was elected member of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

to defend the principle of the Europe of nations. However, Debré later accused

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...

, and the RPR moderated their speech. Debré was a dissident candidate in the 1981 presidential election but obtained only 1.6% of votes.

Politics in Réunion

Michel Debré arrived on the island of

in April 1963 and succeeded in being elected Député for Saint-Denis on 6 May despite local opposition to the ''ordonnance Debré'', a law that he had introduced in 1960 to allow civil servants in the

overseas departments and territories of France Overseas France (french: France d'outre-mer) consists of 13 French-administered territories outside Europe, mostly the remains of the French colonial empire that chose to remain a part of the French state under various statuses after decolon ...

to be recalled to

Metropolitan France Metropolitan France (french: France métropolitaine or ''la Métropole''), also known as European France (french: Territoire européen de la France) is the area of France which is geographically in Europe. This collective name for the European ...

if they were suspected of disturbing public order. Supported by those who rejected autonomy, he immediately became the leader of the local right wing. That 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 In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...

policy and opened the island's first

family planning Family planning is the consideration of the number of children a person wishes to have, including the choice to have no children, and the age at which they wish to have them. Things that may play a role on family planning decisions include marita ...

center. He personally fought to get Paris to create a second secondary school on the south of the island, in

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. In the early twentieth century, the town was the base for th ...

, when at the time there was only one, the Lycée Leconte-de-Lisle, which catered for many thousands of inhabitants. From 1968 to 1982, Debré forcibly relocated over 2,000 children from Réunion to France, to work as free labour in

Creuse Creuse (; oc, Cruesa or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the eas ...

. The plight of those children, known as Les enfants de la Creuse, was brought to light in 2002 when the Réunion exile Jean-Jacques Martial made a legal complaint against Debré, who had organised the controversial displacement, for "kidnapping of a minor, roundup and deportation". In 2005, a similar case was brought against the French Government by the Association of Réunion of Creuse.

Political career

Governmental functions *Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice: 1958–1959. *Prime Minister: 1959–1962. *Minister of Economy and Finance: 1966–1968. *Minister of Foreign Affairs: 1968–1969. *Minister of Defense: 1969–1973. Electoral mandates ''European Parliament'' *Member of

: 1979–1980 (Resignation). Elected in 1979. ''Senate of France'' *Senator of

: 1948–1959 Became Prime minister in 1959. Elected in 1948, reelected in 1954. ''National Assembly'' *Member of the

National Assembly of France The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known a ...

for

: 1963–1966 (Became minister in 1966), 1973–1988. Elected in 1963, reelected in 1967, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1981, 1986. ''General Council'' *General councillor of

: 1951–1970. Reelected in 1958, 1964. ''Municipal Council'' *Mayor of

Amboise Amboise (; ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court. Geography Amboise lies on the banks of the river Loire, east of Tours. It is also about away ...

: 1966–1989. Reelected in 1971, 1977, 1983. *Municipal councillor of

: 1959–1989. Reelected in 1965, 1971, 1977, 1983.

Debré's Government, 8 January 1959 – 14 April 1962

*Michel Debré – Prime Minister *

Maurice Couve de Murville Jacques-Maurice Couve de Murville (; 24 January 1907 – 24 December 1999) 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 Gaull ...

– Minister of Foreign Affairs *

Pierre Guillaumat Pierre Guillaumat (5 August 1909 – 28 August 1991) 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 born in La Flèche ...

– Minister of Armies * Jean Berthoin – Minister of the Interior *

Antoine Pinay Antoine Pinay (; 30 December 1891 – 13 December 1994) was a French conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 1952 to 1953. Life Antoine Pinay was born on 30 December 1891 in Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise. He was a child ...

– Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs *

Jean-Marcel Jeanneney Jean-Marcel Jeanneney (13 November 1910 – 17 September 2010) was minister in various French governments in the 1950s and 1960s, and France's first ambassador to Algeria in the immediate aftermath of the Algerian War. Born in Paris, he ha ...

– Minister of Commerce and Industry * Paul Bacon – Minister of Labour *

Edmond Michelet Edmond Michelet (8 October 1899 – 9 October 1970) was a French politician. He is the father of the writer Claude Michelet. On 17 June 1940, he distributed tracts calling to continue the war in all Brive-la-Gaillarde's mailboxes. It is consid ...

– Minister of Justice * André Boulloche – Minister of National Education *

Raymond Triboulet Raymond Triboulet (3 October 1906 – 26 May 2006) 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 Born ...

– Minister of Veteran Affairs *

André Malraux Georges André Malraux ( , ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (Man's Fate) (1933) won the Prix Goncourt. He was appointed by P ...

– Minister of Cultural Affairs *

Roger Houdet Roger Houdet (14 June 1899 – 25 August 1987) was a French engineer and politician. 1899 births 1987 deaths People from Angers French Ministers of Agriculture 20th-century French engineers French people of the Algerian War Senators o ...

– Minister of Agriculture *

Robert Buron Robert Buron (27 February 1910 – 28 April 1973) 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 195 ...

– Minister of Public Works and Transport * Bernard Chenot – Minister of Public Health and Population * Bernard Cornut-Gentille – Minister of Posts and Telecommunications *

Roger Frey Roger Frey (11 June 1913, Nouméa, New Caledonia – 13 September 1997) was a French politician. His parents were of Alsatian origin. He was Minister of the Interior and president of the Constitutional Council of France. Political career In 19 ...

– Minister of Information * Pierre Sudreau – Minister of Construction Changes *27 March 1959 –

Robert Lecourt Robert Lecourt (19 September 1908 – 9 August 2004) was a French politician and lawyer, judge and the fourth President of the European Court of Justice. He was born in Pavilly and died in Boulogne-Billancourt. Significantly, in his role as a ...

enters the Cabinet as Minister of Cooperation. *27 May 1959 – Henri Rochereau succeeds Houdet as Minister of Agriculture. *28 May 1959 –

Pierre Chatenet Pierre 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 E ...

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 Joxe Louis Joxe (16 September 1901 – 6 April 1991) was a French statesman, judge and politician. He was born in Bourg-la-Reine, Hauts-de-Seine. Career * Ambassador of France to the USSR (1952–1955) * Ambassador of France to the Federal Republi ...

succeeds Debré as Minister of National Education *5 February 1960 –

Pierre Messmer Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer (; 20 March 191629 August 2007) 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 L ...

succeeds Guillaumat as Minister of Armies.

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 Louis Terrenoire (10 November 1908 – 9 January 1992) was a French politician from Union for the New Republic. He was Member of Parliament for Orne's 1st constituency and served as Minister of Information An information minister (also called mi ...

succeeds Frey as Minister of Information. *23 November 1960 –

becomes Minister of Algerian Affairs.

succeeds Joxe as interim Minister of National Education. *20 February 1961 – Lucien Paye succeeds Guillaumat as Minister of National Education. *6 May 1961 –

succeeds Chatenet as Minister of the Interior. *18 May 1961 –

Jean Foyer Jean Foyer (21 April 1921, Contigné, Maine-et-Loire – 3 October 2008, Paris) was a French politician and minister. He studied law and became a law professor at the university. He wrote several books about French Civil law. Political care ...

enters the ministry as Minister of Cooperation. *24 August 1961 – Bernard Chenot succeeds Michelet as Minister of Justice.

Joseph Fontanet Joseph Fontanet (9 February 1921, Frontenex, Savoie – 2 February 1980, Paris) was a French politician. He was first elected to Parliament in 1956 as MP for Savoie Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ...

succeeds Chenot as Minister of Public Health and Population.

Edgard Pisani Edgard Edouard Pisani (; 9 October 1918 – 20 June 2016) was a French statesman, philosopher, and writer. He was a European Commissioner and Member of the European Parliament. Biography Pisani was born in Tunis, French Tunisia, of French paren ...

succeeds Rochereau as Minister of Agriculture.

Louis Jacquinot Louis Jacquinot (16 September 1898 – 14 June 1993) was a French lawyer and politician, and chief of Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré's office. Jacquinot was born in Gondrecourt-le-Château (Meuse) in 1898. Entering parliament in 1932, he la ...

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 –

succeeds Baumgartner as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.