Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti has the title, with medieval overtones, of Keeper of the Seals. In his office on Place Vendôme sits an imposing sealing press.
Its function is to authenticate major texts, such as the Constitution and its modifications. The machine looks like a monumental screw. It is used to affix the yellow wax seal of the French Republic – the one in force dates from 1848 – at the bottom of the document to be marked.