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)
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 départementalpréfets and sub-prefects are subordinate to the Minister of the Interior.
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.
