Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France)
The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs 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 is responsible for the foreign relations of France. The current officeholder, vacant, since 14 October 2025. For a brief period from 1984 to 1986, the office was titled Minister for External Relations.
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; 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.
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.- 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
- General inspection of foreign affairs
- The prospective office
- The Protocole, upon which the President's protocol cell relies
- The Crisis management Department
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 |
Vichy Regime
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 |