2001 in France

March – The Renault Vel Satis is launched at the Geneva Motor Show.
8 March – Cantonales Elections are held.
11 March – Cantonales Elections are held.
11 March – Municipal Elections are held.
18 March – Municipal Elections are held.
April – PSA Peugeot Citroën replaces two of its longest running cars – the Citroën Xantia and Peugeot 306 – with the Citroën C5 and Peugeot 307 respectively.^[1]
September – Citroën launches the all-new C3 hatchback at the Frankfurt Motor Show as a replacement for the outdated Saxo.
15 September – Santé Diabète organization is created in Grenoble.^[2]
21 September – The AZote Fertilisant chemical factory in Toulouse, explodes, killing 29 and seriously wounding over 2500.
November – The Peugeot 307 is voted European Car of the Year.^[3]

10 January – Jacques Marin, actor (b. 1919).
21 January – Jean-Marie Goasmat, cyclist (b. 1913).
30 January
- Jean-Pierre Aumont, actor (b. 1911).
- Michel Marcel Navratil, last French survivor and male survivor of the Titanic disaster (b. 1908)^[4]
8 February – Raymond Polin, philosopher (b. 1910).
18 February – Balthus, artist (b. 1908).
19 February – Charles Trenet, singer and songwriter (b. 1913).
4 March – Jean René Bazaine, painter, stained glass window designer and writer (b. 1904).

10 April – Jean-Gabriel Albicocco, film director (b. 1936).
19 April – André du Bouchet, poet (b. 1924).
20 April – Maurice Lauré, creator of taxe sur la valeur ajoutée (TVA) (b. 1917).
6 May – René Bondoux, fencer (b. 1905)
14 May – Paul Bénichou, writer, critic and literary historian (b. 1908).
15 May
- Jean-Philippe Lauer, architect and Egyptologist (b. 1902).
- Sacha Vierny, cinematographer (b. 1919).
17 May – Jacques-Louis Lions, mathematician (b. 1928).
6 June – Marie Brémont, supercentenarian, the oldest recognized person in the world from November 2000 until her death (b. 1886).
11 June – Pierre Eyt, cardinal (b. 1934).
13 June – Louis de Maigret, Military officer (b. 1914).
15 June – Henri Alekan, cinematographer (b. 1909).
18 June – René Dumont, agronomist, sociologist and environmental politician (b. 1904).
23 June – Corinne Calvet, actress (b. 1925).

1 July – Hélène de Beauvoir, painter (b. 1910).
3 August – Jeanne Loriod, musician (b. 1928).
4 August – Michel de Salzmann, psychiatrist (b. 1923).
12 August – Pierre Klossowski, writer, translator and artist (b. 1905).
15 August – Raymond Abescat, oldest man in France and oldest veteran in France at the time of his death (b. 1891).
25 August – Philippe Léotard, actor and singer (b. 1940).
4 September – Simone de la Chaume, golfer (b. 1908).

18 October – Micheline Ostermeyer, athlete and pianist (b. 1922).
31 October – Régine Cavagnoud, alpine skier (b. 1970).
11 November – Pierre Billaud, radio reporter and journalist, killed in Afghanistan (b. 1970).
12 December – Jean Richard, actor (b. 1921).
18 December – Gilbert Bécaud, singer, composer and actor (b. 1927).
19 December – Marcel Mule, classical saxophonist (b. 1901).

Incumbents