The Minister of the Interior (full title Ministre de l?Intérieur et de l?Aménagement du Territoire) in France is one of the most important governmental cabinet positions similar to a combination FBI and Homeland Security, responsible for the following:

• The general interior security of the country, with respect to criminal acts or natural catastrophes
  • including the major law-enforcement forces (see Police in France)
    • the French National Police
    • the French Gendarmerie for most operational purposes
  • Civil defence and Security Directorate - Securite Civile
    • the sub-directorate of Sapeurs-Pompiers or Firefighters
• the granting of identity documents (passports, identity cards) and driving licenses through the network of préfectures;
• relations between the central government and local governments;
• logistics and organization of political elections, at the national and prefectoral levels (but the results of the elections are overseen by the Constitutional Council or the administrative courts);
• all départemental préfets and sub-prefects are subordinate to the Minister of the Interior.
• The Minister of Interior is also Ministre des cultes and is formally consulted in the process of appointment of Catholic diocesan bishops (Briand-Ceretti Agreement).

The entrance to the Ministry in Place Beauvau is guarded by one gendarme (to the left) and one policewoman (to the right). Joint gendarmerie/police guard duty was seen as a way to bridge the differences between the services.

While the ministry of the Interior supervises police forces, it does not supervise criminal enquiries; criminal enquiries are conducted under the supervision of the judiciary.

The current Minister of the Interior is Michèle Alliot-Marie, who succeeded François Baroin.

See also

• List of Interior Ministers of France

External links

• Official Website in French

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