Charles Alexandre de Calonne

Charles Alexandre de Calonne
Portrait of Calonne by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun (1784, Royal Collection)
Controller-General of Finances
In office
3 November 1783 – 17 May 1787
MonarchLouis XVI
Preceded byHenri Lefèvre d'Ormesson
Succeeded byMichel Bouvard de Fourqueux
Personal details
Born(1734-01-20)20 January 1734
Douai, French Flanders and Hainaut, France
Died30 October 1802(1802-10-30) (aged 68)
Paris, Seine, France
Spouses
Marie Joséphine Marquet
(m. 1766; died 1770)
Anne-Rose de Nettine
(m. 1788⁠–⁠1802)
Children1 son
Alma materUniversity of Paris
ProfessionStatesman, parliamentarian
Signature

Charles Alexandre de Calonne (20 January 1734 – 30 October 1802), titled Count of Hannonville in 1759,[1] was a French statesman, best known for being Louis XVI's Controller-General of Finances (minister of finance) in the years leading up to the French revolution.

Calonne attempted repeatedly to pass reforms that lowered government spending and implemented property added value tax among other things, but failed due to popular opposition to his policies from the Parlement and the Assembly of Notables. Realizing that the Parlement of Paris would never agree to reform, Calonne handpicked an Assembly of Notables in 1787 to approve new taxes. When they refused, Calonne's reputation plummeted and he was forced to leave the country.

  1. ^ John Nichols (April 1795). "The superlatively fine collection of ..." The Gentleman's Magazine. E. Cave.