Paul Ramadier (17 March 1888 – 14 October 1961) was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France in 1947.
The son of a psychiatrist, Ramadier graduated in law from the University of Toulouse and started his profession as a lawyer in Paris. Then, in 1911, he gained his doctorate in Roman law. He became the mayor of Decazeville in 1919 and served as the first Prime Minister of the Fourth Republic in 1947.
On 10 July 1940, he voted against the granting of the full powers to Marshal Philippe Pétain, who installed the Vichy regime the next day.
Ramadier took part in the Resistance and used the nom de guerre Violette. His name was included in the Yad Vashem Jewish memorial after the war.
In the government of Charles de Gaulle (1944–1945), he was Minister for Provisions and earned a reputation as a hardworking, pragmatic and conciliatory politician.
It was during his first ministry that the French Communist Party was forced out of the government in May 1947, which ended the coalition of "tripartisme" with the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO). Ramadier voted for the Marshall Plan.
From 1956 to 1957, Ramadier was Minister of Finance under Guy Mollet.
First Ministry (22 January – 22 October 1947)
Paul Ramadier – President of the Council
Maurice Thorez – Vice President of the Council
Georges Bidault – Minister of Foreign Affairs
Paul Coste-Floret – Minister of War
Louis Jacquinot – Minister of Marine
André Maroselli – Minister of Air
Édouard Depreux – Minister of the Interior
Robert Schuman – Minister of Finance
André Philip – Minister of National Economy
Robert Lacoste – Minister of Industrial Production