[2] He set up in practice as a vetinerarian in Beaune in 1928, where he married Simone Serre.

[3] Duchet was elected mayor of Beaune as a Radical Socialist in October 1932.

He revived trade fairs and wine festivals, and promoted agriculture in the region.

[2] In 1949 Duchet, René Coty and Jean Boivin-Champeaux created the Centre National des Indépendants (CNI, National Center of Independents), which became the main party of the French Fourth Republic.

[3] In the second cabinet of René Pleven he was Secretary of State for Public works from 11 August 1951 to 4 October 1951, then Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones.

He retained the PTT portfolio in the cabinets of Edgar Faure, Antoine Pinay and René Mayer until 28 June 1953.

[2] During the French Fifth Republic Duchet was elected to the Senate on 26 April 1959, and was reelected on 23 September 1962.

These included the French productions Le gentleman de Cocody by Christian-Jaque (1965) and Monsieur Papa by Philippe Monnier (1977), and also international co-productions such as Cosa nostra (1972, The Valachi Papers) directed by Terence Young and starring Charles Bronson and Lino Ventura.

[1] Duchet did not run for a third Senate term, and ended his mandate on 1 October 1971.