Maurice Couve de Murville, French soldier and politician, 152nd Prime Minister of France (born 1907)

Jacques-Maurice Couve de Murville was a French diplomat and politician who was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1958 to 1968 and Prime Minister from 1968 to 1969 under the presidency of General de Gaulle. As foreign minister he played the leading role in the critical Franco-German treaty of cooperation in 1963, he laid the foundation for the Paris-Bonn axis that was central in building a united Europe.

The head of the government of France has been called the prime minister of France since 1959, when Michel Debré became the first officeholder appointed under the Fifth Republic. During earlier periods of history, the head of government of France was known by different titles. As was common in European democracies of the 1815–1958 period, the head of government was called President of the Council of Ministers, generally shortened to President of the council. This should not be confused with the elected office of president of the French Republic, who, as head of state, appoints the prime minister as head of government.