Michel Aurillac (11 July 1928 – 6 July 2017) was a French lawyer, public servant, politician and author. He represented rural central France as an elected deputy and later served in the national government during the 1980s. Aurillac combined a legal training with an interest in international relations and development, and his career bridged parliamentary activity, ministerial responsibility and writing.
Political career and offices
Aurillac was elected to the French National Assembly representing the department of Indre. He served in the Assembly from 1978 to 1981 and returned briefly in 1986. In 1986 he was appointed Minister of Cooperation, a government portfolio he held until 1988. His ministerial tenure took place during the cohabitation government led by Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, when executive power was split between a Socialist president and a centre-right prime minister.
Role as Minister of Cooperation
The Ministry of Cooperation historically managed France’s bilateral development aid, cultural and technical ties with former colonies, particularly in francophone Africa, and broader development policy. As minister, Aurillac would have been responsible for shaping aid programs, overseeing development cooperation agreements and representing France in international development forums. The portfolio required balancing political, economic and humanitarian objectives in a changing post-colonial environment.
Legal and literary work
Trained as a lawyer, Aurillac continued to write and publish on subjects related to public life and international affairs. His literary and scholarly activity was recognized by the Académie française, which awarded him the Prix Narcisse Michaut in 1987, an honorific prize that recognizes notable contributions to letters or scholarship in France.
Legacy and notable facts
Michel Aurillac’s career illustrates the close ties between France’s legal profession, parliamentary representation and overseas policy in the late 20th century. He combined service at home—representing a rural department—with responsibilities that reached across former French territories and the international development community. His reception by the Académie française reflects the cultural as well as political dimensions of his work.
- Born: 11 July 1928.
- Died: 6 July 2017 in Indre, aged 88.
- Key roles: Deputy in the National Assembly; Minister of Cooperation (1986–1988).
- Awards: Prix Narcisse Michaut, Académie française (1987).