standing for the gaullist party, the unr, he was elected to represent alpes-maritimes in the 1958 election to the national assembly of france. he had been minister without portfolio in june 1958, then minister of overseas france from 3 june 1958 to 8 january 1959 in the governments of charles de gaulle. under michel debré he served as minister of posts, telegraphs, and telephones from 8 january 1959 to 5 february 1960. he resigned ministerial office at the same time as jacques soustelle, over the handling of the affair of the barricades in algiers and broke with the gaullists.