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Minister of the Armed Forces (France)

Member of the Government of France

Member of the Government of France

FieldValue
postMinister
bodythe Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs
native_namefr
flagMarque_mindef.svg
flagcaptionHonor flag and naval jack of the minister
imageVautrin 1503548 (cropped).jpg
imagesize220px
incumbentCatherine Vautrin
incumbentsince12 October 2025
departmentMinistry of the Armed Forces
member_ofGovernment
reports_to
seat
nominatorPrime Minister
appointerPresident
termlengthNo fixed term
precursor* Minister of War
formation
firstEdmond Michelet
deputy
salary10,135€ per month
websitewww.defense.gouv.fr
  • Council of Ministers
  • Council of Defence
  • Minister of the Navy
  • Minister of Air

The Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs (, ) is the leader and most senior official of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, tasked with running the French Armed Forces. The minister is the third-highest civilian having authority over France's military, behind the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister. Based on the governments, they may be assisted by a minister or state secretary for veterans' affairs.

The office is considered to be one of the core positions of the Government of France. The previous minister Bruno Le Maire, resigned on 6 October 2025.

History

The minister in charge of the Armed Forces has evolved within the epoque and regimes. The Secretary of State of War was one of the four specialised secretaries of state established in France in 1589. This State Secretary was responsible for the French Army (similarly, the Naval Ministers of France and the Colonies was created in 1669). In 1791, the Secretary of State of War became Minister of War, with this ministerial function being abolished in 1794 and re-established in 1795. Since 1930, the position was often referred to as Minister of War and National Defence. In 1947, two years after World War II, the ministry merged with the Ministry of the Navy and the Ministry of Air (created in 1930), while being headed by a Minister of National Defence responsible for the French Armed Forces, often referred to as Minister of the Armies and since 1947 until 2017, designated as Minister of Defence.

Powers and functions

As the head of the military, the minister is part of the Council of Defence. In addition to their authority over the armed forces, the minister also heads the external and military intelligence community. In this capacity, they are also a member of the National Council of Intelligence.

Although the Minister of the Armed Forces is the official responsible for veterans affairs, they usually delegate their powers to a dedicated subordinate minister or state secretary.

The direct military subordinates of the minister are the:

  • Chief of the Defence Staff
  • Delegate General for the Armament
  • Secretary General for the Administration

Officeholders

Provisional Government

No.PortraitNameTermGovernmentPresidentRef.Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Ministry established
1[[File:Edmond Michelet (1899-1970).jpg80px]]Popular Republican Movement}}; width:1%"Edmond Michelet21 November 194516 December 1946
Serving with Minister of National Defence, Charles de Gaulle
2[[File:André Le Troquer en 1948.jpg80px]]French Section of the Workers' International}}"André Le Troquer16 December 194622 January 1947Blum IIILéon Blum

Fourth Republic

No.PortraitNameTermGovernmentPresidentRef.Took officeLeft officeTime in office
3[[File:François Billoux.png80px]]French Communist Party}}; width:1%"François Billoux22 January 19474 May 1947Ramadier IVincent Auriol
Serving with: War Minister Paul Coste-Floret; Navy Minister Louis Jacquinot; Air Minister André Maroselli
Interim by Yvon Delbos, Minister of State, from 4 May 1947 to 22 October 1947.
4[[File:Pierre-Henri Teitgen.jpg80px]]Popular Republican Movement}}"Pierre-Henri Teitgen22 October 194726 July 1948Vincent Auriol
5[[File:René Mayer en 1949.jpg80px]]Radical Party (France)}}"René Mayer26 July 194811 September 1948Vincent Auriol
6[[File:Paul Ramadier en 1947.jpg80px]]French Section of the Workers' International}}"Paul Ramadier11 September 194828 October 1949Queuille I
7[[File:René Pleven.png80px]]Democratic Movement (France)}};"René Pleven28 October 194912 July 1950
8[[File:Jules Moch en 1950.jpg80px]]French Section of the Workers' International}}"Jules Moch12 July 195011 August 1951
9[[File:Georges Bidault.jpg80px]]Popular Republican Movement}}"Georges Bidault11 August 19518 March 1952
10[[File:Rene Pleven.jpg80px]]Democratic Movement (France)}};"René Pleven8 March 195219 June 1954
René Coty
11[[File:Bezoek van de Franse generaal J.P. Koenig aan de Stormschool Bloemendaal. NL-HlmNHA 54004047 (cropped).JPG80px]]Pierre Kœnig19 June 195414 August 1954Mendès-FranceRené Coty
Interim by Emmanuel Temple, Minister of Veterans and War Victims, from 14 August 1954 to 3 September 1954.
12[[File:Blanco portrait.svg80px]]Independent Republicans}};"Emmanuel Temple3 September 195420 January 1955Mendès-FranceRené Coty
13[[File:Bourgès-Maunoury - Levi Eshkol 1958 (cropped).jpg80px]]Radical Party (France)}};"Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury20 January 195523 February 1955Mendès-FranceRené Coty
Serving with Minister of National Defence, Jacques Chevallier
14[[File:Bezoek van de Franse generaal J.P. Koenig aan de Stormschool Bloemendaal. NL-HlmNHA 54004047 (cropped).JPG80px]]Pierre Kœnig23 February 19556 October 1955Faure IIRené Coty
15[[File:General Pierre Billotte (1957).jpg80px]]Pierre Billotte6 October 19551 February 1956
16[[File:Bourgès-Maunoury - Levi Eshkol 1958 (cropped).jpg80px]]Radical Party (France)}};"Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury1 February 195613 June 1957Mollet
17[[File:Blanco portrait.svg80px]]Radical Party (France)}};"André Morice13 June 19576 November 1957Bourgès-Maunoury
18[[File:Jacques Chaban-Delmas-1.jpg80px]]Jacques Chaban-Delmas6 November 195714 May 1958Gaillard
19[[File:Blanco portrait.svg80px]]Popular Republican Movement}}"Pierre de Chevigné14 May 19581 June 1958Pflimlin
20[[File:Blanco portrait.svg80px]]Independent politician}}"Pierre Guillaumat1 June 19588 January 1959de Gaulle IIIRené Coty
Serving with Minister of National Defence, Charles de Gaulle

Fifth Republic

No.PortraitNameTermGovernmentPresidentRef.Took officeLeft officeTime in office
21[[File:Blanco portrait.svg80px]]Independent politician}}; width:1%"Pierre Guillaumat8 January 19595 February 1960DebréCharles de Gaulle
22[[File:Pierre Messmer01 (cropped 2).JPG80px]]Union for the New Republic}};"Pierre Messmer5 February 196022 June 1969
Interim : Alain Poher
23[[File:Michel Debré.jpg80px]]Union of Democrats for the Republic}};"Michel Debré22 June 19695 April 1973Georges Pompidou
24[[File:Blanco portrait.svg80px]]Union of Democrats for the Republic}};"Robert Galley5 April 197328 May 1974Messmer II–III
25[[File:Blanco portrait.svg80px]]Union of Democrats for the Republic}};"Jacques Soufflet28 May 197431 January 1975Chirac IValéry Giscard d'Estaing
26[[File:Yvon Bourges (cropped).jpg80px]]Rally for the Republic}};"Yvon Bourges31 January 19752 October 1980
27[[File:Blanco portrait.svg80px]]Rally for the Republic}};"Joël Le Theule2 October 198022 December 1980Barre III
28[[File:Blanco portrait.svg80px]]Rally for the Republic}};"Robert Galley22 December 198022 May 1981
29[[File:Charles Hernu.jpg80px]]Socialist Party (France)}};"Charles Hernu22 May 198120 September 1985François Mitterrand
30[[File:Paul Quilès.jpg80px]]Socialist Party (France)}};"Paul Quilès20 September 198520 March 1986Fabius
31[[File:André Giraud 1987 (cropped).jpg80px]]Union for French Democracy}};"André Giraud20 March 198612 May 1988Chirac II
32[[File:Jean-Pierre chevenement et général jb pinatel à Valmy septembre 1989 (cropped).jpg80px]]Socialist Party (France)}};"Jean-Pierre Chevènement12 May 198829 January 1991Rocard I–II
33[[File:Pierre Joxe - Février 2013.jpg80px]]Socialist Party (France)}};"Pierre Joxe29 January 19919 March 1993
34[[File:Pierre-Beregovoy.webp80px]]Socialist Party (France)}};"Pierre Bérégovoy9 March 199330 March 1993Bérégovoy
35[[File:François Léotard 1988 (cropped).jpg80px]]Union for French Democracy}};"François Léotard30 March 199318 May 1995Balladur
36[[File:William S. Cohen - Charles Millon (cropped).jpg80px]]Union for French Democracy}};"Charles Millon18 May 19954 June 1997Juppé I–IIJacques Chirac
37[[File:Alain Richard.jpg80px]]Socialist Party (France)}};"Alain Richard4 June 19977 May 2002Jospin
38[[File:Michèle Alliot-Marie, French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (5277700729) (cropped).jpg80px]]Union for a Popular Movement}};"Michèle Alliot-Marie7 May 200218 May 2007
39[[File:Defense.gov News Photo 100208-D-7203C-003 (cropped).jpg80px]]Les Centristes}};"Hervé Morin18 May 200714 November 2010Fillon I–IINicolas Sarkozy
40[[File:Alain Juppé in Washington DC (cropped).jpg80px]]Union for a Popular Movement}};"Alain Juppé14 November 201027 February 2011Fillon IIINicolas Sarkozy
41[[File:Gerard Longuet (cropped).jpg80px]]Union for a Popular Movement}};"Gérard Longuet27 February 201116 May 2012
42[[File:Reuven Rivlin at a meeting with Jean-Yves Le Drian, March 2018 (9730) (cropped).jpg80px]]Socialist Party (France)}};"Jean-Yves Le Drian16 May 201217 May 2017François Hollande
43[[File:Hearing of Sylvie Goulard (France) , candidate commissioner for internal market (48832160786) (cropped).jpg80px]]La République En Marche!}};"Sylvie Goulard17 May 201721 June 2017Philippe IEmmanuel Macron
44[[File:Florence Parly 190907-D-BN624-0170 (48694393657) (cropped).jpg80px]]Independent politician}}"Florence Parly21 June 201720 May 2022
45[[File:Portrait Sébastien Lecornu.jpg80px]]La République En Marche!}}"Sébastien Lecornu20 May 20225 October 2025
46[[File:Bruno Le Maire in 2022.jpg80px]]La République En Marche!}}"Bruno Le Maire5 October 20256 October 2025Lecornu I
Interim by Sébastien Lecornu, Prime Minister, from 6 October 2025 to 12 October 2025.title=Newly named French defense minister quits after backlash to appointmenturl=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2025/10/06/macron-tasks-outgoing-pm-with-leading-last-ditch-talks_6746163_5.htmlwebsite=Le Mondeaccess-date=7 October 2025}}
47[[File:Vautrin 1503548 (cropped).jpg80px]]La République En Marche!}}"Catherine Vautrin12 October 2025IncumbentLecornu IIEmmanuel Macron

Timeline

ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:50 left:20 AlignBars = late

Define $today = Define $later = 31/12/

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1958 till:01/03/2030 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1958 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:01/01/1958

Colors = id:ind value:rgb(0.86, 0.86, 0.86) legend:Independent id:UfNR value:rgb(0.09, 0, 0.78) legend:Union_for_the_New_Republic id:UDR value:rgb(0.91, 0.29, 0.17) legend:Union_of_Democrats_for_the_Republic id:RPR value:rgb(0.06, 0.13, 0.44) legend:Rally_for_the_Republic id:PS value:rgb(0.89, 0.18, 0.36) legend:Socialist_Party id:UFD value:rgb(0.40, 0.80, 0.80) legend:Union_for_French_Democracy id:UMP value:rgb(0.16, 0.32, 0.69) legend:Union_for_a_Popular_Movement id:LC value:rgb(0.44, 0.59, 0.81) legend:The_Centrists id:RE value:rgb(0.98, 0.92, 0) legend:Renaissance id:linemark value:gray(0.8) id:linemark2 value:gray(0.9)

Legend = columns:1

BarData = bar:Guillaumat bar:Messmer bar:Debré bar:Galley bar:Soufflet bar:Bourges bar:LeTheule bar:Hernu bar:Quilès bar:Giraud bar:Chevènement bar:Joxe bar:Léotard bar:Millon bar:Richard bar:Alliot bar:Morin bar:Juppé bar:Longuet bar:Drian bar:Goulard bar:Parly bar:Lecornu bar:Maire

PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till bar:Guillaumat from: 08/01/1959 till: 05/02/1960 color:ind text:"Pierre Guillaumat" bar:Messmer from: 05/02/1960 till: 22/06/1969 color:UfNR text:"Pierre Messmer" bar:Debré from: 22/06/1969 till: 05/04/1973 color:UDR text:"Michel Debré" bar:Galley from: 05/04/1973 till: 28/05/1974 color:UDR #Galley from: 22/12/1980 till: 22/05/1981 color:RPR text:"Robert Galley" bar:Soufflet from: 28/05/1974 till: 31/01/1975 color:UDR text:"Jacques Soufflet" bar:Bourges from: 31/01/1975 till: 02/10/1980 color:RPR text:"Yvon Bourges" bar:LeTheule from: 02/10/1980 till: 22/12/1980 color:RPR text:"Joël Le Theule" bar:Hernu from: 22/05/1981 till: 20/09/1985 color:PS text:"Charles Hernu" bar:Quilès from: 20/09/1985 till: 20/03/1986 color:PS text:"Paul Quilès" bar:Giraud from: 20/03/1986 till: 12/05/1988 color:UFD text:"André Giraud" bar:Chevènement from: 12/05/1988 till: 29/01/1991 color:PS text:"Jean-Pierre Chevènement" bar:Joxe from: 29/01/1991 till: 09/03/1993 color:PS text:"Pierre Joxe" bar:Léotard from: 30/03/1993 till: 18/05/1995 color:UFD text:"François Léotard" bar:Millon from: 18/05/1995 till: 04/06/1997 color:UFD text:"Charles Millon" bar:Richard from: 04/06/1997 till: 07/05/2002 color:PS text:"Alain Richard" bar:Alliot from: 07/05/2002 till: 18/05/2007 color:UMP text:"Michèle Alliot-Marie" bar:Morin from: 18/05/2007 till: 14/11/2010 color:LC text:"Hervé Morin" bar:Juppé from: 14/11/2010 till: 27/02/2011 color:UMP text:"Alain Juppé" bar:Longuet from: 27/02/2011 till: 16/05/2012 color:UMP text:"Gérard Longuet" bar:Drian from: 16/05/2012 till: 17/05/2017 color:PS text:"Jean-Yves Le Drian bar:Goulard from: 17/05/2017 till: 21/06/2017 color:RE text:"Sylvie Goulard bar:Parly from: 21/06/2017 till: 20/05/2022 color:ind text:"Florence Parly bar:Lecornu from: 20/05/2022 till: 05/10/2025 color:RE from: 06/10/2025 till:$today color:RE text:"Sébastien Lecornu" bar:Maire from: 05/10/2025 till: 06/10/2025 color:RE text:"Bruno Le Maire"

References

References

  1. "Defence Code – Article L1142-1".
  2. "Defence Code – Article L1121-1".
  3. "Defence Code – Article L1131-1".
  4. "Defence Code – Article R*1122-2".
  5. "Defence Code – Article R*1122-7".
  6. "Defence Code – Article R*1142-2".
  7. "Defence Code – Article R*3111-1".
  8. (21 November 1945). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  9. (16 December 1946). "Decree on the composition of the government". Journal officiel de la République française: Lois et décrets.
  10. Government of the French Republic. (22 January 1947). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  11. Government of the French Republic. (4 May 1947). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  12. Government of the French Republic. (31 October 1947). "Décret n°47-2110 relatif aux attributions du ministre des forces armées".
  13. Government of the French Republic. (22 October 1947). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  14. Government of the French Republic. (26 July 1948). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  15. Government of the French Republic. (11 September 1948). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  16. Government of the French Republic. (28 October 1949). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  17. Government of the French Republic. (12 July 1950). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  18. Government of the French Republic. (11 August 1951). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  19. Government of the French Republic. (8 March 1953). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  20. Government of the French Republic. (19 June 1954). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  21. Government of the French Republic. (14 August 1954). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  22. Government of the French Republic. (3 September 1954). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  23. Government of the French Republic. (20 January 1955). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  24. Government of the French Republic. (23 February 1955). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  25. Government of the French Republic. (6 October 1955). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  26. Government of the French Republic. (1 February 1956). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  27. Government of the French Republic. (13 June 1957). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  28. Government of the French Republic. (6 November 1957). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  29. Government of the French Republic. (14 May 1958). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  30. Government of the French Republic. (1 June 1958). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  31. Government of the French Republic. (8 January 1959). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  32. Government of the French Republic. (5 February 1960). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  33. Government of the French Republic. (22 June 1969). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  34. Government of the French Republic. (5 April 1973). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  35. Government of the French Republic. (28 May 1974). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  36. Government of the French Republic. (31 January 1975). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  37. Government of the French Republic. (2 October 1980). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  38. Government of the French Republic. (22 December 1980). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  39. Government of the French Republic. (22 May 1981). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  40. Government of the French Republic. (20 September 1985). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  41. Government of the French Republic. (20 March 1986). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  42. Government of the French Republic. (12 May 1988). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  43. Government of the French Republic. (29 January 1991). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  44. Government of the French Republic. (9 March 1993). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  45. Government of the French Republic. (30 March 1993). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  46. Government of the French Republic. (18 May 1995). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  47. Government of the French Republic. (4 June 1997). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  48. Government of the French Republic. (7 May 2002). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  49. . (17 August 2006). ["Lebanon army starts to move south"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4800437.stm). *[[BBC]]*.
  50. Government of the French Republic. (18 May 2007). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  51. Elitsa Vucheva. (2 October 2008). "EU peacekeepers to leave Bosnia". [[EUobserver]].
  52. Government of the French Republic. (14 November 2010). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  53. Steven Erlanger. (14 November 2010). "Sarkozy Appoints a More Rightist Cabinet in Reshuffle". [[The New York Times]].
  54. Government of the French Republic. (27 February 2011). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  55. . (27 February 2011). ["French Foreign Minister Alliot-Marie quits over Tunisia"](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-12591452). *[[BBC]]*.
  56. Government of the French Republic. (16 May 2012). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  57. . (16 May 2012). ["New Socialist cabinet takes power in France"](https://www.france24.com/en/20120516-france-president-hollande-appoints-members-new-cabinet-fabius-moscovici-lemas-ayrault). *[[France 24]]*.
  58. Government of the French Republic. (17 May 2017). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  59. Alissa J. Rubin. (17 May 2017). "Macron's Cabinet Gives Glimpse of How He Plans to Govern France". [[The New York Times]].
  60. Government of the French Republic. (21 June 2017). "Decree on the composition of the government".
  61. . (21 June 2017). ["Macron reshuffles cabinet, boosts women to top posts"](https://www.france24.com/en/20170621-france-macron-cabinet-women-new-faces). *[[France 24]]*.
  62. (20 May 2022). "Macron and PM Borne name reshuffled government, with many familiar faces". Le Monde.fr.
  63. (20 May 2022). "Sébastien Lecornu named as France's new defense minister at a time of raging war in Ukraine". Le Monde.fr.
  64. (21 September 2024). "Macron names right-leaning French government under Michel Barnier". [[The Guardian]].
  65. (23 December 2024). "France has a new government. Now it must fix the budget while avoiding collapse". [[Associated Press]].
  66. (2025-10-05). "Gouvernement Lecornu : la liste des 18 ministres nommés dimanche soir".
  67. "Newly named French defense minister quits after backlash to appointment".
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