Pleven, René (1901–1989)

French centrist politician; prime minister 1950–51 and 1951–52, and holding ministerial office for much of the Fourth Republic. In October 1950 he put forward a plan for a European Defence Community (EDC) prepared by Jean Monnet. The proposal caused bitter rifts in France's parties and finally foundered when, under Pierre Mendès-France's premiership, the National Assembly failed to ratify the EDC Treaty in August 1954. After a decade out of government, he served as justice minister under President Georges Pompidou 1969–73.

Socially conservative but a strong early supporter of European integration, he belonged to the same small Resistance-based party as François Mitterrand. With a strong local and regional political base in northeastern Brittany, Pleven was also closely involved in campaigning for regional economic development.