The Minister for the Economy, Finance and Employment (ministre de l'Économie, des Finances et de l'Emploi, MINEFE), or Minister of Finance for short, is one of the most prominent positions in the cabinet of France after the Prime Minister.

She has now a colleague of equal rank: the Minister for the Budget, the Public Accounts and Civil Service (ministre du Budget, des Comptes publics et de la Fonction publique).

The exact title of the minister has varied throughout time; it may not always include "economy" and "industry", but it always includes "Finances".

The Minister of Finance supervises:

• the preparation of the taxation rules (she has a direct authority above the Direction de la législation fiscale (Board for Tax Policy) of the Direction générale des impôts (General Board of Internal Revenue Service));
• the financial assets of the State and the financial and economic national system (especially with the Direction générale du Trésor et de la politique économique (Géneral Board of the Treasury and for Economic Policy, not to be confounded with the Trésor Public (Public Treasury) that is the Direction générale de la comptabilité publique (General Board for Public Accounts)) under minister of Budget's authority);
• the development, regulation and control of economy including industry, tourism, small business, concurrence and consumer security, and other matters excluding energy, industrial security, environmental affairs and transportations which are under the authority of the Ministre d’Etat, Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Planning and Development;
• employment policies and career education.

By her authority above the financial assets of the State, the financial and economic national system and the taxation rules, the Minister is allowed to represent France in the European Union council of the minister of the Economy and Finance (ECOFIN).

See: services/sircom/ministere/organigramme_minefe.htm" target="_blank">http://www.minefi.gouv.fr/directions_services/sircom/ministere/organigramme_minefe.htm

The current Minister of the Economy, Finance and the Employment is _Christine Lagarde.