Minister of the Interior (France)
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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.
The Minister of the Interior in France is one of the most important governmental positions, it is 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
- the sub-directorate of Sapeurs-Pompiers or Firefighters
- including the major law-enforcement forces (see Police in France)
- the granting of identity documents (passports, identity cards) and driving licenses through the network of prefectures;
- 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 French Constitutional Council or the administrative courts);
- all départemental préfets and sub-prefects are subordinate to the minister of the interior.
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 Dominique de Villepin.
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Categories: French government | Government stubs