Michel Debré
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Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (; 15 January 1912 – 2 August 1996) was the first Prime Minister of the
French Fifth Republic The Fifth Republic () 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.. The Fifth Republic emerged fr ...
. 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 1971 d ...
. He served under President
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
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, a well-known professor of medicine, who is today considered by many to be the founder of modern
pediatrics Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, Adolescence, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many o ...
. 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 The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
. 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 (Paris), rue Saint-Jacques in central Par ...
, obtained a diploma from the
École Libre des Sciences Politiques Sciences Po () or Sciences Po Paris, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies (), is a public research university located in Paris, France, that holds the status of ''grande école'' and the legal status of . The university's unde ...
, 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, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
from the
University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...
. He then became a Professor of Law at the
University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...
. He also joined the École des Officiers de Réserve de la Cavalerie (Reserve Cavalry-Officers School) in
Saumur Saumur () is a Communes of France, commune in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgu ...
. In 1934, at the age of twenty-two, Debré passed the entrance exam and became a member of the
Conseil d'État In France, the (; Council of State) is a governmental body that acts both as legal adviser to the executive branch and as the supreme court for administrative justice, which is one of the two branches of the French judiciary system. Establ ...
. In 1938, he joined the staff of the Economy Minister Paul Reynaud.


Early career

In 1939, at the beginning of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, 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 (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
but managed to escape in September. He returned to the Conseil d'État, now under the administration of the
Vichy regime Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...
and was sworn in by Marshal
Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Bénoni Omer Joseph Pétain (; 24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), better known as Marshal Pétain (, ), was a French marshal who commanded the French Army in World War I and later became the head of the Collaboration with Nazi Ger ...
. 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 titl ...
'' 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 ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...
by joining the network Ceux de la Résistance (CDLR). During the summer of 1943, General
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
gave Debré the task of making a list of prefects who would replace those of the Vichy regime after the Liberation. In August 1944, de Gaulle made him Commissaire de la République for
Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...
, and in 1945, the
Provisional Government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse, revoluti ...
charged him with the task of reforming the French Civil Service. While doing so, he created the , a decision rooted in ideas formulated by Jean Zay before the war. Under the Fourth Republic, Debré at first supported the Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance but defected to the Radical-Socialist Partyallegedly on the advice of 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 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. In 2019, it had a population of 610,079.French Algeria French Algeria ( until 1839, then afterwards; unofficially ; ), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of History of Algeria, Algerian history when the country was a colony and later an integral part of France. French rule lasted until ...
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 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 (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 system and the reproductive organs. Org ...
and politician; and Bernard's fraternal twin, Jean-Louis Debré (1944–2025), politician. See Debré family.


Government

Michel Debré became the Garde des Sceaux and 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 1971 d ...
, and on its acceptance he took up the new position of
Prime Minister of France The prime minister of France (), officially the prime minister of the French Republic (''Premier ministre de la République française''), is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of its Council of Ministers. The prime ...
, 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) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...
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 served as Prime Minister of France under President Charles de Gaulle from 19 ...
. 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 repr ...
, Debré tried to be elected as deputy for
Indre-et-Loire Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River. In 2019, it had a population of 610,079.Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
, 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 e ...
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, which had been founded by Paul Vergès a few years earlier. The movement sought
self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...
for the island and the removal of its position as an
overseas department The overseas departments and regions of France (, ; DROM) are the five departments and regions of the French Republic which are located outside European France (also known as " metropolitan France"). These overseas entities have exactly the s ...
and had staged demonstrations 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 the election. Debré returned to 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 under President
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 served as Prime Minister of France under President Charles de Gaulle from 19 ...
. 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 Larzac (, ), also known as the Causse of Larzac (French: ''Causses, Causse du Larzac''; ), is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France, situated between Millau (in the Departments of France, department of Aveyron) ...
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 simply Giscard or VGE, was a French politician who served as President of France from 1974 to 1981. After serving as Ministry of the Economy ...
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 ( ; 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 and presented itself as the heir of Gaul ...
(RPR) campaign against European federalism and was elected member of the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two 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 ...
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. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Pari ...
, 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
Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
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 (, also ) consists of 13 French territories outside Europe, mostly the remnants of the French colonial empire that remained a part of the French state under various statuses after decolonisation. Most are part of the European ...
to be recalled to
Metropolitan France Metropolitan France ( or ), also known as European France (), is the area of France which is geographically in Europe and chiefly comprises #Hexagon, the mainland, popularly known as "the Hexagon" ( or ), and Corsica. This collective name for the ...
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 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 economics, economic development (or 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 object ...
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 marit ...
center. He personally fought to get Paris to create a second secondary school on the south of the island, in Le Tampon, 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 (; 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 east, Cor ...
. The plight of those children, known as the Children of 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
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two 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 ...
: 1979–1980 (Resignation). Elected in 1979. ''Senate of France'' *Senator of
Indre-et-Loire Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River. In 2019, it had a population of 610,079.National Assembly of France The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...
for
Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
: 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-Loire Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River. In 2019, it had a population of 610,079.Amboise: 1966–1989. Reelected in 1971, 1977, 1983. *Municipal councillor of Amboise: 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 – Minister of Foreign Affairs * Pierre Guillaumat – Minister of Armies * Jean Berthoin – Minister of the Interior * Antoine Pinay – Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs * Jean-Marcel Jeanneney – Minister of Commerce and Industry * Paul Bacon – Minister of Labour * Edmond Michelet – Minister of Justice * André Boulloche – Minister of National Education * Raymond TribouletMinister 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 ...
– Minister of Cultural Affairs * Roger Houdet – Minister of Agriculture * Robert Buron – Minister of Public Works and Transport * Bernard Chenot – Minister of Public Health and Population * Bernard Cornut-Gentille – Minister of Posts and Telecommunications * Roger Frey – Minister of Information * Pierre Sudreau – Minister of Construction Changes *27 March 1959 – Robert Lecourt enters the Cabinet as Minister of Cooperation. *27 May 1959 – Henri Rochereau succeeds Houdet as Minister of Agriculture. *28 May 1959 – Pierre Chatenet 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 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 ...
succeeds Guillaumat as Minister of Armies. Robert Lecourt 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 Joxe becomes Minister of Algerian Affairs. Pierre Guillaumat succeeds Joxe as interim Minister of National Education. *20 February 1961 – Lucien Paye succeeds Guillaumat as Minister of National Education. *6 May 1961 – Roger Frey succeeds Chatenet as Minister of the Interior. *18 May 1961 – Jean Foyer enters the ministry as Minister of Cooperation. *24 August 1961 – Bernard Chenot succeeds Michelet as Minister of Justice. Joseph Fontanet succeeds Chenot as Minister of Public Health and Population. Edgard Pisani succeeds Rochereau as Minister of Agriculture. Louis Jacquinot 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'Estaing Valéry René Marie Georges Giscard d'Estaing (, ; ; 2 February 19262 December 2020), also known as simply Giscard or VGE, was a French politician who served as President of France from 1974 to 1981. After serving as Ministry of the Economy ...
succeeds Baumgartner as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.


References


Further reading

* Wahl, Nicholas. "The Constitutional Ideas of Michel Debré." ''Theory and Politics/Theorie und Politik.'' Springer Netherlands, 1971. 259–271. * Wilsford, David, ed. ''Political leaders of contemporary Western Europe: a biographical dictionary'' (Greenwood, 1995) pp. 97–105


Primary sources

*Debré, Michel. "The principles of our defence policy: Revue de Défense Nationale (Paris) 26 année August/September 1970." ''Survival'' 12#11 (1970): 376–383. * , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Debre, Michel 1912 births 1996 deaths Politicians from Paris French Roman Catholics Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance politicians Radical Party (France) politicians Rally of the French People politicians Union for the New Republic politicians Union of Democrats for the Republic politicians Rally for the Republic politicians Prime ministers of France Foreign ministers of France Ministers of justice of France Ministers of national education of France Finance ministers of France Ministers of veterans affairs of France French senators of the Fourth Republic Senators of Indre-et-Loire Deputies of the 2nd National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 3rd National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 4th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 5th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 6th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 7th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 8th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Candidates in the 1981 French presidential election 20th-century French lawyers French Army personnel of World War II French people of Jewish descent French people of the Algerian War Jewish French politicians Lycée Louis-le-Grand alumni Lycée Montaigne (Paris) alumni Sciences Po alumni Members of the Académie Française Commanders of the Legion of Honour French Army officers French prisoners of war in World War II World War II prisoners of war held by Germany French escapees Escapees from German detention Members of Parliament for Réunion Presidency of Charles de Gaulle Commissioners of the Republic