Patric Renaud (Napoleon's World)

Patric Jean-Charles Renaud (born October 24, 1919) is a retired French politician best known for serving as the State Minister of the French Empire from 1972-1980, a period which is generally defined by his Ministry. Initially viewed as a transitional State Minister after the resignation of Valery d'Estaing, Renaud emerged as one of the most powerful State Ministers in the post-Civil War 20th century, often dictating economic, foreign and military policy with nominal Imperial approval. As the State Minister during the last years of Sebastien's life, he was regarded by many within the Parisian elite as impossible to sack even after a series of unpopular decisions and initiatives in early 1974 due to the Emperor's declining health, and further solidified his position as a power broker as the head of the bureaucracy during the critical transitional period between Sebastien and Albert II, whom he acted as a principal advisor towards. Many Albertine reforms, such as the culture libere, the liberalization of the economy in 1984 and the reforms of the university system were born out of proposals pushed by Renaud in the mid-to-late 1970's. Renaud was also the architect of the policy of detente in the 1970's, which he executed largely without Imperial interference during Sebastien's illness and Albert II's early consolidation of power, but which was eventually abandoned with the outbreak of the Brazilian War and the birth of the Doctrine of Attrition.

Renaud retired on Shroud Day 1980, as he had informed Albert II of his intention to step down shortly after his 60th birthday. He briefly agreed to act as the interim Foreign Minister in 1984 during a reshuffling of various bureaucratic posts, a position which he held for 48 days. His son, Jacques, served as State Minister from 2007-2009, making them the only father-son pair to hold the office.