The government of France is based on the constitution of the fifth republic which was introduced by De Gaulle in 1958, following a referendum.
Principles of the constitution
The principles of the fifth republic evolved from those of the fourth republic and include : legal equality of all citizens, presumption of innocence, freedom of political opinion, freedom of religious opinion, freedom of speech, accountability of government to the people, freedom of citizen property rights and protection of the environment.
Executive
The executive is a branch headed by the prime minister and the president.
President
The president appoints the prime minister, but in theory can not dismiss him. Prime ministers are often asked to sign an undated notice of resignation upon appointment.
Thus the president is the most powerful element of government, but can be weakened by a government of an opposing political view.
The president is elected for a five year term which runs almost concurrently with the five year term of the assembly. The most recent of these elections was in 2007.
Prime minister
The prime minister countersigns the orders of the president, and is the senior executive in the government as well as head of the cabinet. The nations criticisms of government policy are normally directed towards the prime minister.
Parliament
Parliament consists of two houses : the Senate and the National Assembly.
Senate
The senate is undergoing ongoing minor changes. The structure will be (by 2010) 346 senators elected indirectly by approximately 150,000 local politicians including mayors, city councillors and deputies of the national assembly. 50% of senators will be elected every 3 years, and serve a term of 6 years. The system favours rural areas and results in a conservative biais.
Assembly
The French National Assembly has 577 members (deputies), individually elected by citizens of each constituency. Elections to the Assembly are via a two round system, normally every 5 years. The President can call for an election earlier.
It has a president, normally from the largest party in the assembly, and a number of vice presidents from other parties.
Congress
Congress is a joint meeting of the Assembly and the Senate to consider changes to the constitution.
Political parties
The main political parties are :
*
English description
Leader
UDF
C
Union for French Democracy
François Bayrou
MPF
E
Movement for France
Philippe de Villiers
RPFIE
E
Rally for France and European Independence
Charles Pasqua
FN
FR
National Front
Jean-Marie Le Pen
MNR
FR
National Republican Movement
Bruno Mégret
LV
G
The Greens
Cécile Duflot
PS
L
Socialist Party
François Hollande
PRG
L
Left Radical Party
Jean-Michel Baylet
PCF
L
French Communist Party
Marie-George Buffet
MRC
L
Citizen and Republican Movement
Jean-Pierre Chevènement
CPNT
M
Hunt, Fish, Nature, Traditions
Jean Saint-Josse
UMP
R
Union for a Popular Movement
Nicolas Sarkozy
CNIP
R
National Center of Independents and Peasants
Annick du Roscoät
RAD
R
Radical Party
Jean-Louis Borloo and André Rossinot
LCR
T
Revolutionary Communist League
Olivier Besancenot
LO
T
Workers' Struggle
Arlette Laguiller
* Politics
C = Centrist
L = Left
E = Eurosceptic
M = Miscellaneous
FR = Far right
R = Right
G = Greens
T = Trotskyists
UDF, PS and UMP are currently the major parties in the assembly.
