Félix Jules Méline (20 May 1838 – 21 December 1925) was a French statesman, Prime Minister of France from 1896 to 1898.

Biography

Méline was born at Remiremont. Having taken up law as his profession, he was chosen a deputy in 1872, and in 1879 he was for a short time Under-Secretary to the Minister of the Interior. In 1880 he came to the fore as the leading spokesman of the party which favoured the protection of French industries, and he had a considerable share in fashioning the protectionist legislation of the years 1890–1902. From 1883 to 1885, Méline was Minister for Agriculture, and in 1888–1889 he was President of the Chamber of Deputies. In 1896 he became Premier (Président du Conseil) and Minister for Agriculture. His tenure in these roles ended in 1898, after losing the confidence of the Chamber of Deputies following the 1898 French legislative election, being succeeded as Premier by Henri Brisson. At one time he edited La République francaise, and after his retirement from public life he wrote Le Retour de la terre et Ia surproduction industrielle, tout en faveur de l'agriculture (1905). The French protectionist measure of 1892, the Méline tariff, is named after him.

Méline's Ministry

Méline's Ministry, 29 April 1896 – 28 June 1898: Changes