Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France) explained

Formed:1547
Jurisdiction:Government of France
Headquarters:Hôtel du ministre des Affaires étrangères, 37 Quai d'Orsay, Paris 7e
Chief1 Name:Stéphane Séjourné
Chief1 Position:Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (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, Stéphane Séjourné, was appointed in 2024.

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 from 1984 to 1986, the office was retitled Minister for External Relations. As of, it is designated as Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs and occupied by Stéphane Séjourné, who is assisted by Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Secretary of State for Development and International Partnerships, and Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister Delegate for Europe, and Franck Riester, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness, Francophonie and French Nationals Abroad.

Central administration

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.

Secretaries of State (1547–1723)

Name from to
Guillaume Bochetel, seigneur de Sussy 1547 1558
Côme Clausse, seigneur de Marchaumont 1547 1559
Claude de l’Aubespine 1 April 1547 1567
Jean du Thiers, seigneur de Beauregard 1547 1559
Jacques Bourdin, seigneur de Villeines 1558 1567
1558 1567
1559 1569
22 October 1567 27 November 1579
28 October 1567 1588
8 June 1569 1588
Claude Pinart, seigneur de Comblisy and Crambailles 1570 1588
Louis de Revol 1 January 1589 17 September 1594
30 December 1594 9 August 1616
30 November 1616 24 April 1617
24 April 1617 11 March 1626
11 March 1626 2 May 1629
Claude Bouthillier 2 May 1629 18 March 1632
18 March 1632 23 June 1643
23 June 1643 3 April 1663
Hugues de Lionne 3 April 1663 1 September 1671
1 September 1671 18 November 1679
12 February 1680 28 July 1696
28 July 1696 22 September 1715
23 September 1715 1 September 1718

Minister for Foreign Affairs (1718–1791)

Name from to
Guillaume Dubois 24 September 1718 10 August 1723
16 August 1723 19 August 1727
Germain Louis Chauvelin 23 August 1727 20 February 1737
22 February 1737 26 April 1744
26 April 1744 19 November 1744
19 November 1744 10 January 1747
27 January 1747 9 September 1751
11 September 1751 24 July 1754
Antoine Louis Rouillé 24 July 1754 28 June 1757
28 June 1757 9 October 1758
3 December 1758 13 October 1761
13 October 1761 10 April 1766
10 April 1766 24 December 1770
24 December 1770 6 June 1771
6 June 1771 2 June 1774
2 June 1774 21 July 1774
21 July 1774 13 February 1787
14 February 1787 13 July 1789
13 July 1789 16 July 1789
16 July 1789 29 November 1791

Ministers of Foreign Affairs (1791–2007)

Name from to
29 November 1791 15 March 1792
Charles Dumouriez 15 March 1792 13 June 1792
13 June 1792 18 June 1792
18 June 1792 23 July 1792
23 July 1792 1 August 1792
Claude Bigot de Sainte-Croix 1 August 1792 10 August 1792
10 August 1792 21 June 1793
21 June 1793 2 April 1794
5 April 1794 8 April 1794
Martial Joseph Armand Herman 8 April 1794 20 April 1794
Philibert Buchot20 April 1794 3 November 1795
3 November 1794 21 November 1794
21 November 1794 19 February 1795
Jean-Victor Colchen19 February 1795 3 November 1795
Charles-François Delacroix 3 November 1795 15 July 1797
15 July 1797 20 July 1799
20 July 1799 22 November 1799

Consulate and First Empire

Name from to
22 November 1799 9 August 1807
9 August 1807 17 April 1811
17 April 1811 20 November 1813
20 November 1813 1 April 1814
3 April 1814 13 May 1814

First Restoration and the Hundred Days

Name from to
13 May 1814 20 March 1815
20 March 1815 22 June 1815
22 June 1815 7 July 1815

Second Restoration

Name from to
9 July 1815 26 September 1815
26 September 1815 29 December 1818
29 December 1818 19 November 1819
Étienne Denis, baron Pasquier 19 November 1819 14 December 1821
14 December 1821 28 December 1822
28 December 1822 4 August 1824
4 August 1824 4 January 1828
Auguste, comte de La Ferronays 4 January 1828 24 April 1829
24 April 1829 14 May 1829
Joseph-Marie, comte Portalis 14 May 1829 8 August 1829
8 August 1829 29 July 1830
29 July 1830
Louis, baron Bignon 31 July 1830 1 August 1830

July Monarchy

Name from to
1 August 1830 11 August 1830
11 August 1830 2 November 1830
2 November 1830 17 November 1830
17 November 1830 11 October 1832
11 October 1832 4 April 1834
4 April 1834 10 November 1834
10 November 1834 18 November 1834
18 November 1834 12 March 1835
12 March 1835 22 February 1836
Adolphe Thiers 22 February 1836 6 September 1836
6 September 1836 31 March 1839
31 March 1839 12 May 1839
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
24 February 1848 11 May 1848
Jules Bastide 11 May 1848 29 June 1848
29 June 1848 17 July 1848
Jules Bastide 17 July 1848 20 December 1848
20 December 1848 2 June 1849
2 June 1849 31 October 1849
31 October 1849 17 November 1849
17 November 1849 9 January 1851
9 January 1851 24 January 1851
24 January 1851 10 April 1851
Jules Baroche 10 April 1851 26 October 1851
26 October 1851 28 July 1852

Second Empire

Name from to
28 July 1852 7 May 1855
7 May 1855 4 January 1860
Jules Baroche 4 January 1860 24 January 1860
24 January 1860 15 October 1862
15 October 1862 1 September 1866
1 September 1866 2 October 1866
2 October 1866 17 December 1868
17 December 1868 17 July 1869
17 July 1869 2 January 1870
2 January 1870 14 April 1870
14 April 1870 15 May 1870
15 May 1870 10 August 1870
10 August 1870 4 September 1870

Third Republic

Name from to
Jules Favre 4 September 1870 2 August 1871
2 August 1871 25 May 1873
25 May 1873 26 November 1873
29 November 1873 23 November 1877
23 November 1877 13 December 1877
13 December 1877 28 December 1879
28 December 1879 23 September 1880
23 September 1880 14 November 1881
Léon Gambetta 14 November 1881 30 January 1882
30 January 1882 7 August 1882
7 August 1882 29 January 1883
29 January 1883 21 February 1883
21 February 1883 20 November 1883
Jules Ferry 20 November 1883 6 April 1885
6 April 1885 11 December 1886
11 December 1886 3 April 1888
René Goblet 3 April 1888 22 February 1889
22 February 1889 17 March 1890
17 March 1890 11 January 1893
Jules Develle 11 January 1893 3 December 1893
3 December 1893 30 May 1894
30 May 1894 1 November 1895
1 November 1895 28 March 1896
28 March 1896 29 April 1896
29 April 1896 28 June 1898
28 June 1898 6 June 1905
6 June 1905 13 March 1906
14 March 1906 25 October 1906
25 October 1906 2 March 1911
Jean Cruppi 2 March 1911 27 June 1911
27 June 1911 9 January 1912
14 January 1912 22 January 1913
22 January 1913 22 March 1913
22 March 1913 9 December 1913
9 December 1913 9 June 1914
9 June 1914 13 June 1914
René Viviani 13 June 1914 3 August 1914
3 August 1914 26 August 1914
26 August 1914 13 October 1915
René Viviani 13 October 1915 29 October 1915
29 October 1915 20 March 1917
20 March 1917 23 October 1917
Louis Barthou 23 October 1917 16 November 1917
16 November 1917 20 January 1920
20 January 1920 24 September 1920
24 September 1920 16 January 1921
16 January 1921 15 January 1922
15 January 1922 9 June 1924
9 June 1924 14 June 1924
14 June 1924 17 April 1925
17 April 1925 19 July 1926
19 July 1926 23 July 1926
23 July 1926 14 January 1932
Pierre Laval 14 January 1932 20 February 1932
André Tardieu 20 February 1932 3 June 1932
3 June 1932 18 December 1932
18 December 1932 30 January 1934
30 January 1934 9 February 1934
Louis Barthou 9 February 1934 9 October 1934
Pierre Laval 13 October 1934 24 January 1936
24 January 1936 4 June 1936
Yvon Delbos 4 June 1936 13 March 1938
13 March 1938 10 April 1938
10 April 1938 13 September 1939
13 September 1939 21 March 1940
Paul Reynaud 21 March 1940 18 May 1940
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
13 December 1940 9 February 1941
10 February 1941 18 April 1942
Pierre Laval 18 April 1942 20 August 1944

Free French Commissioners

Name from to
Maurice Dejean24 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
10 September 1944 16 December 1946
Léon Blum 16 December 1946 22 January 1947
22 January 1947 26 July 1948
26 July 1948 8 January 1953
8 January 1953 19 June 1954
19 June 1954 20 January 1955
Edgar Faure 20 January 1955 23 February 1955
Antoine Pinay 23 February 1955 1 February 1956
1 February 1956 14 May 1958
René Pleven 14 May 1958 1 June 1958

Fifth Republic

Name from to
1 June 1958 30 May 1968
Michel Debré 30 May 1968 22 June 1969
22 June 1969 15 March 1973
15 March 1973 4 April 1973
Michel Jobert 4 April 1973 28 May 1974
28 May 1974 27 August 1976
27 August 1976 29 November 1978
29 November 1978 22 May 1981
22 May 1981 7 December 1984
Roland Dumas 7 December 1984 20 March 1986
20 March 1986 12 May 1988
Roland Dumas 12 May 1988 29 March 1993
Alain Juppé 29 March 1993 18 May 1995
18 May 1995 4 June 1997
4 June 1997 7 May 2002
7 May 2002 31 March 2004
31 March 2004 2 June 2005
2 June 2005 15 May 2007

Ministers of Foreign and European Affairs (2007–2012)

Name from to
16 May 2007 14 November 2010
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
16 May 2012 11 February 2016
11 February 2016 10 May 2017

Ministers of Europe and Foreign Affairs (2017–present)

Name from to
17 May 2017 20 May 2022
20 May 2022 11 January 2024
11 January 2024 Present

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. 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

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