The
Government of the French Republic exercises
executive power in the
French Republic. It is composed of the
Prime Minister of the French Republic, who is the
head of government, and both junior and senior
ministers. Senior ministers are titled as Ministers , whereas junior ministers are titled as Secretaries of State . A smaller and more powerful executive body, called the
Council of Ministers , is composed only of the senior ministers, though some Secretaries of State may attend Council meetings. The Council of Ministers is chaired by the
President of the Republic, unlike the government, but is still led by the Prime Minister, who was officially titled as the
President of the Council of Ministers during the
Third and
Fourth Republics. By comparison, the Government of France is equivalent to
Her Majesty's Government in the
United Kingdom, whereas the Council of Ministers is equivalent to the
Cabinet of the United Kingdom.