Raoul Adolphe Péret (French pronunciation:[ʁauladɔlfpeʁɛ]; 29 November 1870 – 22 July 1942) was a French lawyer and politician.
Raoul Péret was born inChâtellerault (Vienne), son of a magistrate. He followed his father into the law, becoming anadvocate at theCourt of Cassation inParis. In 1893 he served as an aide toJustice MinisterEugène Guérin. He became aDoctor of Laws in 1895 and served asprocurator ofAuxerre.
He was involved in local politics from 1896, and in 1902 he was elected to theChamber of Deputies, representing Vienne. He became a leading member of the Chamber's Justice committee, and was reelected in 1907 and 1910. He first served in government inGaston Doumergue's first administration (1913–1914) as secretary of state toInterior MinisterRené Renoult. In the reshuffle following the resignation ofJoseph Caillaux, Péret becameMinister of Commerce, Industry, Posts and Telegraphs from 17 March 1914 to 9 June 1914.
On the outbreak of theFirst World War, Péret was recalled to theFrench army. He served in administrative posts, but remained active in the Chamber of Deputies. In 1917 he served as Justice Minister inPaul Painlevé's short-lived first government. On its fall, he returned to the Chamber where he took over the presidency of the important budget committee.
In 1920 he replacedPaul Deschanel asPresident of the Chamber of Deputies when the latter resigned due to ill-health. In 1921 he was asked to form a government by PresidentAlexandre Millerand to replace that ofGeorges Leygues, but his negotiations were unsuccessful andAristide Briand formed the new government. In 1924 he was replaced as President of the Chamber by Painlevé.
Péret returned to ministerial office in 1926, asMinister of Finance in Briand's eighth government. He wished to undertake major financial reforms to meet the growing economic crisis in France, but was unable to find support from his colleagues. His resignation provoked the collapse of Briand's government.
In 1927 Péret was elected to theFrench Senate. In 1930 he returned to government once more as Minister of Justice onAndré Tardieu's second government. A financial scandal in late 1930 concerning his actions as Minister of Finance in 1926 under Briand, and his connections with the entrepreneurAlbert Oustric, led to his resignation, and that of Tardieu's government. Péret was charged, but acquitted in 1931. Although he continued to serve in the Senate for some years afterwards, the scandal effectively ended his political career.
He died atSaint-Mandé in 1942.
