Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (France) - Definition and Overview

The Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (Ministre de l'Economie, des Finances et de l'Industrie), or Minister of Finances for short, is arguably the third most important official in the French government, after the President and Prime Minister.

The exact title of the minister has varied throughout time; it may not always include "economy" and "industry", but it always includes "Finances".

The Minister of Finances supervises:

• the preparation of the finance law (budget), which is then submitted to Parliament for amendment and final approval;
• the taxation system;
• the financial assets of the State;
• the accounting of the State and all public bodies (comptabilité publique).

The current Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry is Hervé Gaymard.

• List of Finance Ministers of France