Edgar Faure

Faure was born in Béziers[?], Languedoc-Roussillon, France. He trained as a lawyer in Paris and became a member of the Bar at 27, the youngest lawyer in France to do so at the time. While living in Paris, he became active in politics, and joined the Radical Party.

During the German occupation of World War II, he joined the Resistance, and in 1942 fled to Charles de Gaulle’s headquarters in Algiers, where de Gaulle made him head of the Provisional Government's legislative department. At the end of the war he served as French counsel for the prosecution at the Nuremberg war crimes trials.

In 1946, he was elected to parlement as a Radical party member. While the popularity of his Radical party declined to less than10 per cent of the total vote, none of the other parties were able to gain a clear majority. As such, early on, Faure’s party often played a disproportionately important role in the formation of French governments. His views changed with time and he became a supporter of de Gaulle’s party who sent him on an unofficial mission to China in 1963.

During his career, Edgar Faure served as:

• Minister of Finance (1950-51);
• Prime Minister - (1952);
• Prime Minister - (1955-56);
• Minister of Agriculture - (1966);
• Minister of Education - (1968);
• Minister of Social Affairs - (1969);
• President of the National Assembly (1973-79).

In 1978 he became a Member of the Académie Française.

Edgar Faure was interred in Cimetière de Passy, Paris, France.