Prime Minister of France

The prime minister of France (French: Premier ministre français), officially the prime minister of the French Republic (Premier ministre de la République française), is the head of government of the French Republic and leader of its Council of Ministers, although the officeholder does not chair its meetings, as the president does.

The prime minister is the holder of the second-highest office in France, after the president of France. The president appoints the prime minister but cannot dismiss them, only request their resignation. The Government of France, including the prime minister, can be dismissed by the National Assembly. Upon appointment, the prime minister proposes a list of ministers to the president. Decrees and decisions signed by the prime minister, like almost all executive decisions, are subject to the oversight of the administrative court system. Some decrees are taken after advice from the Council of State (Conseil d'État), over which the prime minister is entitled to preside. Ministers defend the programmes of their ministries to the prime minister, who makes budgetary choices. The extent to which those decisions lie with the prime minister or president often depends upon whether they are of the same political party. If so, the president may serve as both the head of state and de facto head of government, while the prime minister serves as his deputy.

The current prime minister of France is Sébastien Lecornu who was appointed on 9 September 2025 and resigned on 6 October 2025, but was re-appointed on 10 October.

The prime minister is appointed by the president of France, who is theoretically free to pick anyone for the post. In practice, because the National Assembly has the power to force the resignation of the government by adopting a motion of no confidence, the choice of prime minister must reflect the will of the majority in the National Assembly. In periods of cohabitation, the prime minister is only responsible to the parliament.

One example of cohabitation includes President François Mitterrand's appointment of Jacques Chirac as prime minister after the legislative election of 1986. While Mitterrand's Socialist Party was the largest party in the National Assembly, it did not have an absolute majority. The Rally for the Republic had an alliance with the Union for French Democracy, which gave them a majority.

While prime ministers are usually chosen from amongst the ranks of the National Assembly, on rare occasions the president has selected a non-officeholder because of experience in bureaucracy or foreign service, or success in business management—former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique de Villepin, for example, served as prime minister from 2005 to 2007 without having held elected office.

Although the president's choice of prime minister must be in accordance with the majority in the National Assembly, a prime minister does not have to ask for a vote of confidence after a government formation, having been legitimized by the president's assignment and approval of the government. Prior to the 1958 Constitution, the government was required to pass a motion of confidence upon entering office.

According to article 21 of the Constitution, the prime minister "shall direct the actions of the Government". Additionally, Article 20 stipulates that the government "shall determine and conduct the policy of the Nation", and it includes domestic issues, while the president concentrates on formulating directions on national defense and foreign policy while arbitrating the efficient service of all governmental authorities in France. Other members of the government are appointed by the president "on the recommendation of the prime minister". In practice, the prime minister acts in harmony with the president, except when there is a cohabitation. During cohabitation, according to the Constitutional Council, "the centre of gravity of power shifts from the Élysée to Matignon", with the president losing his status as head of the executive. In such cases, the prime minister traditionally exercises primacy in domestic affairs, while the president limits their action to defense and, to a lesser degree, to foreign affairs.