Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France)
The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (French: Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères, MEAE) is the ministry of the Government of France that handles France's foreign relations. Since 1855, its headquarters have been located at 37 Quai d'Orsay, close to the National Assembly. The term Quai d'Orsay is often used as a metonym for the ministry. Its cabinet minister, the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs (French: Ministre de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères) is responsible for the foreign relations of France. The current officeholder, Catherine Colonna, was appointed in 2022.
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1547 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of France |
| Headquarters | Hôtel du ministre des Affaires étrangères, 37 Quai d'Orsay, Paris 7e |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | diplomatie |
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In 1547, royal secretaries became specialised, writing correspondence to foreign governments and negotiating peace treaties. The four French secretaries of state where foreign relations were divided by region, in 1589, became centralised with one becoming first secretary responsible for international relations. The Ancien Régime position of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs became Foreign Minister around 1723;[1] it was renamed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1791 in the aftermath of early stages of the French Revolution. All ministerial positions were abolished in 1794 by the National Convention and reestablished with the Directory.
For a brief period in the 1980s, the office was retitled Minister for External Relations. As of 2023, it is designated as Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs and occupied by Catherine Colonna, who is assisted by two Secretaries of State, currently Chrysoula Zacharopoulou and Laurence Boone.
Central administration
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Foreign Affairs Ministry building on the Quai d'Orsay
There are multiple services under its authority, along with that of some other ministers. Under the authority of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, that of Cooperation and European Affairs, and that of Foreign and European Affairs, there are numerous services directly related to the ministers. Here is a list of those services.
- The ministers' cabinet
- The office of cabinets, which gathers a personnel in charge of the administrative and logistics aspects of the three ministers' cabinets
- The budget control service (CBCM)
- General inspection of foreign affairs (IGAE)
- The prospective office (DP)
- The Protocole, upon which the President's protocol cell relies
- The Crisis management Department (CDC)
Secretaries of State (1547–1723)
Minister for Foreign Affairs (1718–1791)
Ministers of Foreign Affairs (1791–2007)
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Antoine Valdec de Lessart | 29 November 1791 | 15 March 1792 |
| Charles Dumouriez | 15 March 1792 | 13 June 1792 |
| Pierre Paul de Méredieu, baron de Naillac | 13 June 1792 | 18 June 1792 |
| Scipion Victor, marquis de Chambonas | 18 June 1792 | 23 July 1792 |
| François Joseph de Gratet, vicomte Dubouchage | 23 July 1792 | 1 August 1792 |
| Claude Bigot de Sainte-Croix | 1 August 1792 | 10 August 1792 |
| Pierre Henri Hélène Marie Lebrun-Tondu | 10 August 1792 | 21 June 1793 |
| François Louis Michel Chemin Deforgues | 21 June 1793 | 2 April 1794 |
| Jean Marie Claude Alexandre Goujon | 5 April 1794 | 8 April 1794 |
| Martial Joseph Armand Herman | 8 April 1794 | 20 April 1794 |
| Philibert Buchot | 20 April 1794 | 3 November 1795 |
| Michel Ange Bernard Mangourit | 3 November 1794 | 21 November 1794 |
| André François Miot de Melito | 21 November 1794 | 19 February 1795 |
| Jean-Victor Colchen | 19 February 1795 | 3 November 1795 |
| Charles-François Delacroix | 3 November 1795 | 15 July 1797 |
| Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord | 15 July 1797 | 20 July 1799 |
| Charles-Frédéric Reinhard | 20 July 1799 | 22 November 1799 |
Consulate and First Empire
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, prince de Bénévent | 22 November 1799 | 9 August 1807 |
| Jean-Baptiste Nompère de Champagny, duc de Cadore | 9 August 1807 | 17 April 1811 |
| Hugues Bernard Maret, duc de Bassano | 17 April 1811 | 20 November 1813 |
| Armand Augustin Louis Caulaincourt, duc de Vicence | 20 November 1813 | 1 April 1814 |
| Antoine René Charles Mathurin, comte de Laforest | 3 April 1814 | 13 May 1814 |
First Restoration and the Hundred Days
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, prince de Bénévent | 13 May 1814 | 20 March 1815 |
| Armand Augustin Louis Caulaincourt, duc de Vicence | 20 March 1815 | 22 June 1815 |
| Louis, baron Bignon | 22 June 1815 | 7 July 1815 |
Second Restoration
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, prince de Bénévent | 9 July 1815 | 26 September 1815 |
| Armand Emmanuel du Plessis, duc de Richelieu | 26 September 1815 | 29 December 1818 |
| Jean Joseph Paul Augustin, marquis Dessolles | 29 December 1818 | 19 November 1819 |
| Étienne Denis, baron Pasquier | 19 November 1819 | 14 December 1821 |
| Mathieu Jean Félicité, duc de Montmorency-Laval | 14 December 1821 | 28 December 1822 |
| François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand | 28 December 1822 | 4 August 1824 |
| Ange Hyacinthe Maxence, baron de Damas | 4 August 1824 | 4 January 1828 |
| Auguste, comte de La Ferronays | 4 January 1828 | 24 April 1829 |
| Anne Pierre Adrien, duc de Montmorency-Laval | 24 April 1829 | 14 May 1829 |
| Joseph-Marie, comte Portalis | 14 May 1829 | 8 August 1829 |
| Jules Armand Auguste Marie, prince de Polignac | 8 August 1829 | 29 July 1830 |
| Victor Louis Victurnien, duc de Mortemart | 29 July 1830 | |
| Louis, baron Bignon | 31 July 1830 | 1 August 1830 |
July Monarchy
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Jean-Baptiste, comte Jourdan | 1 August 1830 | 11 August 1830 |
| Louis, comte Molé | 11 August 1830 | 2 November 1830 |
| Nicolas Joseph, marquis Maison | 2 November 1830 | 17 November 1830 |
| Horace François Bastien, baron Sébastiani | 17 November 1830 | 11 October 1832 |
| Victor, duc de Broglie | 11 October 1832 | 4 April 1834 |
| Henri Gauthier, comte de Rigny | 4 April 1834 | 10 November 1834 |
| Charles Joseph, comte Bresson | 10 November 1834 | 18 November 1834 |
| Henri Gauthier, comte de Rigny | 18 November 1834 | 12 March 1835 |
| Victor, duc de Broglie | 12 March 1835 | 22 February 1836 |
| Adolphe Thiers | 22 February 1836 | 6 September 1836 |
| Louis, comte Molé | 6 September 1836 | 31 March 1839 |
| Louis Napoléon Lannes, duc de Montebello | 31 March 1839 | 12 May 1839 |
| Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie | 12 May 1839 | 1 March 1840 |
| Adolphe Thiers | 1 March 1840 | 29 October 1840 |
| François Guizot | 29 October 1840 | 23 February 1848 |
Second Republic
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Alphonse de Lamartine | 24 February 1848 | 11 May 1848 |
| Jules Bastide | 11 May 1848 | 29 June 1848 |
| Marie-Alphonse Bedeau | 29 June 1848 | 17 July 1848 |
| Jules Bastide | 17 July 1848 | 20 December 1848 |
| Édouard Drouyn de Lhuys | 20 December 1848 | 2 June 1849 |
| Alexis de Tocqueville | 2 June 1849 | 31 October 1849 |
| Alphonse de Rayneval | 31 October 1849 | 17 November 1849 |
| Jean-Ernest Ducos, vicomte de La Hitte | 17 November 1849 | 9 January 1851 |
| Édouard Drouyn de Lhuys | 9 January 1851 | 24 January 1851 |
| Anatole, baron Brénier de Renaudière | 24 January 1851 | 10 April 1851 |
| Jules Baroche | 10 April 1851 | 26 October 1851 |
| Louis Félix Étienne, marquis de Turgot | 26 October 1851 | 28 July 1852 |
Second Empire
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Édouard Drouyn de Lhuys | 28 July 1852 | 7 May 1855 |
| Alexandre Colonna, comte Walewski | 7 May 1855 | 4 January 1860 |
| Jules Baroche | 4 January 1860 | 24 January 1860 |
| Édouard Thouvenel | 24 January 1860 | 15 October 1862 |
| Édouard Drouyn de Lhuys | 15 October 1862 | 1 September 1866 |
| Charles, marquis de La Valette | 1 September 1866 | 2 October 1866 |
| Lionel de Moustier | 2 October 1866 | 17 December 1868 |
| Charles, marquis de La Valette | 17 December 1868 | 17 July 1869 |
| Henri, prince de La Tour d'Auvergne | 17 July 1869 | 2 January 1870 |
| Napoléon, comte Daru | 2 January 1870 | 14 April 1870 |
| Émile Ollivier | 14 April 1870 | 15 May 1870 |
| Agenor, duc de Gramont | 15 May 1870 | 10 August 1870 |
| Henri, prince de La Tour d'Auvergne | 10 August 1870 | 4 September 1870 |
Third Republic
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Jules Favre | 4 September 1870 | 2 August 1871 |
| Charles, comte de Rémusat | 2 August 1871 | 25 May 1873 |
| Albert, duc de Broglie | 25 May 1873 | 26 November 1873 |
| Louis Decazes, duc de Glucksberg | 29 November 1873 | 23 November 1877 |
| Gaston-Robert, marquis de Banneville | 23 November 1877 | 13 December 1877 |
| William Henry Waddington | 13 December 1877 | 28 December 1879 |
| Charles de Freycinet | 28 December 1879 | 23 September 1880 |
| Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire | 23 September 1880 | 14 November 1881 |
| Léon Gambetta | 14 November 1881 | 30 January 1882 |
| Charles de Freycinet | 30 January 1882 | 7 August 1882 |
| Charles Duclerc | 7 August 1882 | 29 January 1883 |
| Armand Fallières | 29 January 1883 | 21 February 1883 |
| Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour | 21 February 1883 | 20 November 1883 |
| Jules Ferry | 20 November 1883 | 6 April 1885 |
| Charles de Freycinet | 6 April 1885 | 11 December 1886 |
| Émile Flourens | 11 December 1886 | 3 April 1888 |
| René Goblet | 3 April 1888 | 22 February 1889 |
| Eugène Spuller | 22 February 1889 | 17 March 1890 |
| Alexandre Ribot | 17 March 1890 | 11 January 1893 |
| Jules Develle | 11 January 1893 | 3 December 1893 |
| Jean Casimir-Perier | 3 December 1893 | 30 May 1894 |
| Gabriel Hanotaux | 30 May 1894 | 1 November 1895 |
| Marcellin Berthelot | 1 November 1895 | 28 March 1896 |
| Léon Bourgeois | 28 March 1896 | 29 April 1896 |
| Gabriel Hanotaux | 29 April 1896 | 28 June 1898 |
| Théophile Delcassé | 28 June 1898 | 6 June 1905 |
| Maurice Rouvier | 6 June 1905 | 13 March 1906 |
| Léon Bourgeois | 14 March 1906 | 25 October 1906 |
| Stéphen Pichon | 25 October 1906 | 2 March 1911 |
| Jean Cruppi | 2 March 1911 | 27 June 1911 |
| Justin de Selves | 27 June 1911 | 9 January 1912 |
| Raymond Poincaré | 14 January 1912 | 22 January 1913 |
| Charles Jonnart | 22 January 1913 | 22 March 1913 |
| Stéphen Pichon | 22 March 1913 | 9 December 1913 |
| Gaston Doumergue | 9 December 1913 | 9 June 1914 |
| Léon Bourgeois | 9 June 1914 | 13 June 1914 |
| René Viviani | 13 June 1914 | 3 August 1914 |
| Gaston Doumergue | 3 August 1914 | 26 August 1914 |
| Théophile Delcassé | 26 August 1914 | 13 October 1915 |
| René Viviani | 13 October 1915 | 29 October 1915 |
| Aristide Briand | 29 October 1915 | 20 March 1917 |
| Alexandre Ribot | 20 March 1917 | 23 October 1917 |
| Louis Barthou | 23 October 1917 | 16 November 1917 |
| Stéphen Pichon | 16 November 1917 | 20 January 1920 |
| Alexandre Millerand | 20 January 1920 | 24 September 1920 |
| Georges Leygues | 24 September 1920 | 16 January 1921 |
| Aristide Briand | 16 January 1921 | 15 January 1922 |
| Raymond Poincaré | 15 January 1922 | 9 June 1924 |
| Edmond Lefebvre du Prey | 9 June 1924 | 14 June 1924 |
| Édouard Herriot | 14 June 1924 | 17 April 1925 |
| Aristide Briand | 17 April 1925 | 19 July 1926 |
| Édouard Herriot | 19 July 1926 | 23 July 1926 |
| Aristide Briand | 23 July 1926 | 14 January 1932 |
| Pierre Laval | 14 January 1932 | 20 February 1932 |
| André Tardieu | 20 February 1932 | 3 June 1932 |
| Édouard Herriot | 3 June 1932 | 18 December 1932 |
| Joseph Paul-Boncour | 18 December 1932 | 30 January 1934 |
| Édouard Daladier | 30 January 1934 | 9 February 1934 |
| Louis Barthou | 9 February 1934 | 9 October 1934 |
| Pierre Laval | 13 October 1934 | 24 January 1936 |
| Pierre Étienne Flandin | 24 January 1936 | 4 June 1936 |
| Yvon Delbos | 4 June 1936 | 13 March 1938 |
| Joseph Paul-Boncour | 13 March 1938 | 10 April 1938 |
| Georges Bonnet | 10 April 1938 | 13 September 1939 |
| Édouard Daladier | 13 September 1939 | 21 March 1940 |
| Paul Reynaud | 21 March 1940 | 18 May 1940 |
| Édouard Daladier | 18 May 1940 | 5 June 1940 |
| Paul Reynaud | 5 June 1940 | 16 June 1940 |
Vichy Regime
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Baudoin | 16 June 1940 | 28 October 1940 |
| Pierre Laval | 28 October 1940 | 13 December 1940 |
| Pierre Étienne Flandin | 13 December 1940 | 9 February 1941 |
| François Darlan | 10 February 1941 | 18 April 1942 |
| Pierre Laval | 18 April 1942 | 20 August 1944 |
Free French Commissioners
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Maurice Dejean | 24 September 1941 | 17 October 1942 |
| René Pleven | 17 October 1942 | 5 February 1943 |
| René Massigli | 5 February 1943 | 10 September 1944 |
Fourth Republic
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Georges Bidault | 10 September 1944 | 16 December 1946 |
| Léon Blum | 16 December 1946 | 22 January 1947 |
| Georges Bidault | 22 January 1947 | 26 July 1948 |
| Robert Schuman | 26 July 1948 | 8 January 1953 |
| Georges Bidault | 8 January 1953 | 19 June 1954 |
| Pierre Mendès-France | 19 June 1954 | 20 January 1955 |
| Edgar Faure | 20 January 1955 | 23 February 1955 |
| Antoine Pinay | 23 February 1955 | 1 February 1956 |
| Christian Pineau | 1 February 1956 | 14 May 1958 |
| René Pleven | 14 May 1958 | 1 June 1958 |
Fifth Republic
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Maurice Couve de Murville | 1 June 1958 | 30 May 1968 |
| Michel Debré | 30 May 1968 | 22 June 1969 |
| Maurice Schumann | 22 June 1969 | 15 March 1973 |
| André Bettencourt | 15 March 1973 | 4 April 1973 |
| Michel Jobert | 4 April 1973 | 28 May 1974 |
| Jean Sauvagnargues | 28 May 1974 | 27 August 1976 |
| Louis de Guiringaud | 27 August 1976 | 29 November 1978 |
| Jean François-Poncet | 29 November 1978 | 22 May 1981 |
| Claude Cheysson | 22 May 1981 | 7 December 1984 |
| Roland Dumas | 7 December 1984 | 20 March 1986 |
| Jean-Bernard Raimond | 20 March 1986 | 12 May 1988 |
| Roland Dumas | 12 May 1988 | 29 March 1993 |
| Alain Juppé | 29 March 1993 | 18 May 1995 |
| Hervé de Charette | 18 May 1995 | 4 June 1997 |
| Hubert Védrine | 4 June 1997 | 7 May 2002 |
| Dominique de Villepin | 7 May 2002 | 31 March 2004 |
| Michel Barnier | 31 March 2004 | 2 June 2005 |
| Philippe Douste-Blazy | 2 June 2005 | 15 May 2007 |
Ministers of Foreign and European Affairs (2007–2012)
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Bernard Kouchner | 16 May 2007 | 14 November 2010 |
| Michèle Alliot-Marie | 14 November 2010 | 27 February 2011 |
| Alain Juppé | 27 February 2011 | 15 May 2012 |
Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Development (2012–2017)
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Laurent Fabius | 16 May 2012 | 11 February 2016 |
| Jean-Marc Ayrault | 11 February 2016 | 10 May 2017 |
Ministers of Europe and Foreign Affairs (2017–present)
| Name | from | to |
|---|---|---|
| Jean-Yves Le Drian | 17 May 2017 | 20 May 2022 |
| Catherine Colonna | 20 May 2022 | In office |
See also
- History of French foreign relations to 1980
- Foreign relations of France Since 1980
References
- (in French) Charles Hélion Marie le Gendre Luçay (comte de), Des origines du pouvoir ministériel en France: les secrétaires d'état depuis leur institution jusqu'à la mort de Louis XV, Librairie de la Société bibliographique, 1881.l
Further reading
- Feske, Victor H. "The Road To Suez: The British Foreign Office and the Quai D’Orsay, 1951–1957" in The Diplomats, 1939–1979 (2019) pp. 167–200; online
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (France).
- 140 Ministries of Foreign Affairs (1589–2000) on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
- Official site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Official treaty database of France
- Dictionnaire historique des institutions, mœurs et coutumes de la France, Adolphe Chéruel, L. Hachette et cie, 1855
- "Ministries 1700–1870", Rulers.org
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