Michel Debré
Prime Ministers

Michel Debré Net Worth

Michel Debré was born in Paris, France on January 15, 1912 and was the 149th Prime Minister of France. He was the first Prime Minister of the French Fifth Republic and drafted the constitution for the country in 1958. He was a staunch supporter of President Charles de Gaulle, but disagreed with him on the issue of Algeria's independence in 1962. He also served as the minister of economic affairs and finance, foreign minister and defense minister under different governments in France. He was a conservative politician who defended the nuclear deterrent capability of France. After 1973 he left active politics and dedicated himself to writing about political affairs in France. In his memoirs he disclosed his disagreements with de Gaulle but insisted that he had been always loyal to him.
Michel Debré is a member of Prime Ministers

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? 149th Prime Minister of France
Birth Day January 15, 1912
Birth Place Paris, French
Age 108 YEARS OLD
Died On 2 August 1996(1996-08-02) (aged 84)\nMontlouis-sur-Loire, Indre-et-Loire, France
Birth Sign Aquarius
Constituency Réunion
Prime Minister Georges Pompidou
Preceded by Charles de Gaulle
Succeeded by Georges Pompidou
President Charles de Gaulle
Political party Radical-Socialist Party (1934–1947) Rally of the French People (1947–1955) Union for the New Republic (1958–1968) Union of Democrats for the Republic (1968–1976) Rally for the Republic (1976–1988)
Spouse(s) Anne-Marie Lemaresquier (m. 1936)
Children Vincent (b. 1939) François (b. 1942) Bernard (b. 1944) Jean-Louis (b. 1944)
Alma mater École Libre des Sciences Politiques University of Paris
Occupation Lawyer
Awards Legion of Honour War Cross
Website Government profile site
Allegiance Vichy France  Free France
Service/branch French Army
Years of service 1939–1945
Rank Commissioner of the Republic Lieutenant
Unit French Cavalry
Battles/wars World War II : Operation Torch Operation Overlord Operation Dragoon

💰 Net worth: $850,000 (2024)

Michel Debré, the renowned French politician who served as the 149th Prime Minister of France, is expected to have a net worth of approximately $850,000 by 2024. Debré's career spans across several key positions in the French government, including his term as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1962. As a pivotal figure in French politics, Debré played a significant role in shaping the nation's governance and policies. With such achievements and his valuable experience, it is not surprising that Debré has amassed a considerable fortune throughout his lifetime.

Biography/Timeline

1912

Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (French pronunciation: ​[miʃɛl dəbʁe]; 15 January 1912 – 2 August 1996) was the first Prime Minister of the French Fifth Republic. He is considered the "father" of the current Constitution of France. He served under President Charles de Gaulle from 1959 to 1962. In terms of political personality, he was intense and immovable, with a tendency to rhetorical extremism.

1934

He studied at the Lycée Montaigne and then at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, obtained a diploma from the École Libre des Sciences Politiques, and a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Paris. He then became a Professor of Law at the University of Paris. He also joined the École des Officiers de Réserve de la Cavalerie (Reserve Cavalry-Officers School) in Saumur. In 1934, at the age of twenty-two, Debré passed the entrance exam and became a member of the Conseil d'État. In 1938, he joined the staff of the Economy Minister Paul Reynaud.

1939

Michel Debré had four sons: Vincent Debré (1939–), businessman; François Debré (1942–), journalist; Bernard Debré (born in 1944), urologist and politician; and his fraternal twin, Jean-Louis Debré, Politician. See Debré family.

1943

During the summer of 1943, General Charles de Gaulle gave Debré the task of making a list of prefects, or State representatives, who would replace those of the Vichy regime after the liberation. In August 1944 de Gaulle made him Commissaire de la République for Angers, and in 1945, the Provisional Government charged him with the task of reforming the French Civil Service. Debré created the École nationale d'administration, whose idea was formulated by Jean Zay before the war.

1946

To justify the departmentalization of the island that occurred in 1946 and to preserve its inhabitants from the temptation of independence, Debré implemented an economic development policy, and opened the island's first family planning center. He personally fought to get Paris to create a second high school on the south of the island, in Le Tampon, when at the time there was only one, the Lycée Leconte-de-Lisle, that catered for many thousands of inhabitants.

1957

Under the Fourth Republic, Michel Debré at first supported the Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance, but defected to the Radical-Socialist Party on the advice of General Charles de Gaulle, who reportedly told him and several other politicians, including Jacques Chaban-Delmas,"Allez au parti radical. C'est là que vous trouverez les derniers vestiges du sens de l'Etat" – "Go to the radical party. It is there that you will find the last vestiges of the meaning of the state". He then joined the Rally of the French People and was elected senator of Indre-et-Loire, a position he held from 1948 to 1958. In 1957, he founded Le Courrier de la colère, a newspaper that fiercely defended French Algeria and called for the return to power of de Gaulle. In the 2 December 1957 issue, Debré wrote:

1958

Michel Debré became the Garde des Sceaux (Minister of Justice) in the cabinet of General de Gaulle on 1 June 1958. He played an important role in drafting the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, and on its acceptance he took up the new position of Prime Minister of France, which he held from 8 January 1959 to 1962.

1959

After the 1962 Évian Accords referendum that ended the Algerian War and gave auto-determination to Algeria was approved by a nearly ten-to-one margin, de Gaulle replaced him with Georges Pompidou. In November, during the parliamentary elections that followed the dissolution of the National Assembly, he tried to be elected Député for Indre-et-Loire. Defeated, in March 1963 he decided to go to Réunion, an island he had visited for less than twenty-four hours on 10 July 1959 when on a trip with President de Gaulle. This choice reflects Debré's fear that what remained of the French colonial empires would follow the path trodden by Algeria – that of independence, towards which he was not sympathetic. Debré wanted to take action against the Communist Party of Réunion that had been founded by Paul Vergès a few years earlier. The movement sought self-determination for the island and the removal of its position as an overseas department, and had staged demonstrations on the island a few day earlier. He also noted that the invalidation of Gabriel Macé's election as Mayor of Saint-Denis rendered the post open to the opposition, so he took the decision to win over this mandate.

1963

Michel Debré arrived on the island of Réunion in April 1963, and succeeded in being elected Député for Saint-Denis on 6 May despite local opposition to the Ordonnance Debré law he had introduced in 1960, that allowed civil servants in the overseas departments and territories of France to be recalled to Metropolitan France if suspected of disturbing public order. Supported by those who rejected autonomy, he immediately became the leader of the local right-wing. This state of affairs would be challenged by Pierre Lagourgue that during the next decade.

1966

He returned in the government in 1966 as Economy and Finance Minister. After the May 1968 crisis, he became Foreign Minister, then, one year later, he served as Defence Minister of President Georges Pompidou. In that role, he became a hated figure of the left, because of his determination to expropriate the land of 107 peasant farmers and Shepherds on the Larzac plateau, to extend an existing military base. The resulting civil disobedience campaign was ultimately victorious. Considered as a guardian of the Gaullist orthodoxy, he was marginalized after the election of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing as President of France in 1974. He criticized with virulence his foreign policy. In 1979 he took a major part in the Rally for the Republic (RPR) campaign against the European federalism and was elected member of the European Parliament in order to defend the principle of Europe of nations. But later, he accused Jacques Chirac and the RPR lead to moderate their speech, and so, he was a dissident candidate in the 1981 presidential election. He obtained only 1.6% of votes.

1968

For a period of around two decades in the twentieth century (1968-1982), 1,630 children from Réunion were relocated to France, particularly to Creuse. These children, known as Les enfants de la Creuse, were brought to light in 2002 when Réunion exile Jean-Jacques Martial made a legal complaint against Politician Michel Debré (who organized the controversial displacement) for "kidnapping of a minor, roundup and deportation". In 2005, a similar case was brought against the French Government by the Association of Réunion of Creuse.

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Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.