After the February Revolution of 1848, Fortoul ran for 1848 Constituent Assembly election, but was defeated. He was elected as deputy for Basses-Alpes in the 1849 French legislative election. He steadily moved towards a Bonapartist position. In October 1851 he was appointed Minister of the Navy, and on 3 December 1851 he became Minister of Education and Religious Affairs. He was appointed senator in 1854. He died of a heart attack on 4 July 1856 in Bad Ems, Germany.