| Vice President of the Council of Minister | |
|---|---|
| Vice-président du Conseil des ministres | |
| Government of France | |
| Status |
|
| Member of | Council of Ministers |
| Reports to | Prime Minister (President of the Council) |
| Nominator | Prime Minister |
| Appointer | President |
| Formation | 2 September 1871 |
| First holder | Jules Armand Dufaure |
| Final holder | Guy Mollet |
| Abolished | 28 May 1958 |
The deputy prime minister of France was a position which existed at times in the government of France between 1870 and 1958. It was titled vice president of the Council of Ministers (French: vice-président du Conseil des ministres) from 1871, or vice president of the Council for short.
It was in itself a sinecure, used to grant seniority immediately after the prime minister to one important member of the government, later up to three at the same time, but without specific duty or power, or any role as designated acting prime minister. However, in 1871–1876 and 1940–1942, it was actually used for the de facto prime minister, as the position was nominally held by the head of state.