Politics of France

1257: 4212: 43: 1235: 2598: 3566: 393: 1861:) provided they do not infringe on the Parliament domain, as detailed in the constitution. Ministers, however, can propose legislation to Parliament; since the Assembly is usually politically allied to the ministers, such legislation is, in general, very likely to pass (unless there is a hung parliament). However, this is not guaranteed, and, on occasion, the opinion of the majority parliamentarians may differ significantly from those of the executive, which often results in a large number of amendments. 3756: 2649: 4743:. This Territory used to be part of the overseas department of Guadeloupe. The statute of Saint-Barthélemy provides the automatic application of French law, except mostly in the domain of taxes and immigration, which are left to the Territory. The Territories do not belong to the European Union. However, as "overseas territories" they have association agreements with the EU and may opt into some EU provisions. EU law applies to them only insofar is necessary to implement the association agreements. 3741: 2728: 2097:), with legislative value, in precisely-defined areas. Habilitation laws specify the scope of the ordinance. After the ordinance is issued, the government has to propose a ratifying bill in order that the ordinance becomes a law. If Parliament votes "no" to ratification, the ordinance is cancelled. Most of the time, ratification is made implicitly or explicitly through a Parliament act that deals with the subject concerned, rather than by the ratification act itself. 3996: 1217: 2625:. While motions of censure are periodically proposed by the opposition following government actions that it deems highly inappropriate, they are usually purely rhetorical; party discipline ensures that, throughout a parliamentary term, the government is never overthrown by the Assembly provided that the governing party/coalition has a working majority in the Chamber (which is no longer the case for the current ruling coalition as a result of the 4146: 3680: 911: 3877:

of dual office can defend the interest of their city etc. in the National Parliament is criticized in that national lawmakers should have the national interest in their mind, not the advancement of the projects of the particular city they are from. Finally, this criticism is part of a wider criticism of the political class as a cozy, closed world in which the same people make a long career from multiple positions.

3393: 3354: 3309: 3186: 3145: 3104: 3063: 3024: 2945: 2902: 2859: 2813: 4064:, the prime minister, or any of the 60 senators or 60 assembly members of the other types of laws or treaties. After their enactment, laws can all be reviewed by referral from the highest administrative court, the Conseil d'Etat, or by the highest judicial court, the Cour de Cassation. The Constitutional Council may declare acts to be unconstitutional, even if they contradict the principles of the 1789 5429:[The French courts are divided into two orders: a judicial order and an administrative order. The courts of the judicial order are responsible for settling disputes between private individuals and for punishing the perpetrators of criminal offenses. ... The administrative courts have jurisdiction as soon as a public entity is involved (a municipality or a government department for example).] 3268: 3225: 1847:. The government is responsible to Parliament, and the National Assembly may pass a motion of censure, forcing the resignation of the government. This, in practice, forces the government to reflect the same political party or coalition which has the majority in the Assembly. Ministers have to answer questions from members of Parliament, both written and oral; this is known as the 4086:) and regional audit courts audit government finances, public institutions (including other courts), and public entities. The court publishes an annual report and can refer criminal matters to public prosecutors. It can also directly fine public accountants for mishandling funds, and refer civil servants who misused funds to the Court of Financial and Budgetary Discipline. 4109:) was created. The ombudsman is charged with solving, without the need to a recourse before the courts, the disagreements between citizens and the administrations and other entities charged with a mission of a public service; proposing reforms to the Government and the administrations to further these goals; and actively participating in the international promotion of 2278:. For instance, appointments, except for the highest positions (the national directors of agencies and administrations), must be made solely on merit (typically determined in competitive exams) or on time in office. Certain civil servants have statuses that prohibit executive interference; for instance, 4640:

discusses and passes laws on matters that concern the department; it is administratively responsible for departmental employees and land, manages subsidized housing, public transportation, and school subsidies, and contributes to public facilities. It is not allowed to express "political wishes." The

4457:

Finance Acts shall determine the resources and obligations of the State in the manner and with the reservations specified in an institutional Act. Social Security Finance Acts shall determine the general conditions for the financial balance of Social Security and, in light of their revenue forecasts,

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has been increasingly criticized. Critics contend that lawmakers that also have some local mandate cannot be assiduous to both tasks; for instance, they may neglect their duties to attend parliamentary sittings and commission in order to attend to tasks in their constituency. The premise that holders

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The law is then sent to the president of France for signature. At this point, the president of France, the speaker of either house or a delegation of 60 deputies or 60 senators can ask for the text to undergo constitutional review before being put into force; it is then sent before the Constitutional

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Note that in administrations and public establishments of an administrative character operate under public law, while establishments of an industrial and commercial character operate mostly under private law. In consequence, in the former, permanent personnel are civil servants, while normally in the

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The government also provides for watchdogs over its own activities; these independent administrative authorities are headed by a commission typically composed of senior lawyers or of members of the Parliament. Each of the two chambers of the Parliament often has its own commission, but sometimes they

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When courts have to deal with incoherent texts, they apply a certain hierarchy: a text higher in the hierarchy will overrule a lower text. The general rule is that the Constitution is superior to laws which are superior to regulations. However, with the intervention of European law and international

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Council members to the Constitutional Council are appointed for nine years (three every three years); three are appointed by the president, three by the president of the National Assembly, and three by the president of the Senate. The former presidents are also members for life of the Constitutional

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The public prosecutors, on the other hand, take orders from the Minister of Justice. In the past, this has bred suspicion of undue political pressure to dismiss suits or claims against government officials charged with corruption, and the status of public prosecutors and their ties to government are

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Because of the importance of allowing government and social security organizations to proceed with the payment of their suppliers, employees, and recipients, without risk of a being stopped by parliamentary discord, these bills are specially constrained. In the past, parliamentarians would often add

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start in the house where they originated. After the house has amended and voted on the text, it is sent to the other house, which can also amend it. If the houses do not choose to adopt the text in identical terms, it is sent before a commission made of equal numbers of members of both houses, which

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The National Assembly may force the resignation of the government by voting a motion of censure. For this reason, the prime minister and their government are necessarily from the dominant party or coalition in the assembly. In the case of a president and assembly from opposing parties, this leads to

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The government has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament (the cabinet has control over the parliamentary order of business 50% of the time, 2 out of 4 weeks per month). The government can also 'commit its responsibility' on a bill it has proposed (effectively treating the bill as an

1864:

The prime minister can commit the government's responsibility on a bill (effectively treating the bill as an issue of a confidence vote), under the provisions of article 49.3 of the Constitution. The bill is then considered passed unless the National Assembly votes a motion of no-confidence (French:

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occurred more commonly, because the term of the president was seven years and the term of the National Assembly was five years. With the term of the president shortened to five years, and with the presidential and parliamentary elections separated by only a few months, this is less likely to happen.

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dismiss the prime minister, nevertheless, if the prime minister is from the same political side, they can, in practice, have them resign on demand (De Gaulle is said to have initiated this practice "by requiring undated letters of resignation from his nominees to the premiership," though more recent

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In most other courts, judges are professional, except that the criminal court for minors is composed of one professional and two lay judges. Also, several specialty courts of original jurisdiction are sat by judges who are elected into office. For instance, labor tribunals are staffed with an equal

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authority by giving a wide range of administrative and fiscal powers to local elected officials. In March 1986, regional councils were directly elected for the first time, and the process of decentralization has continued, albeit at a slow pace. In March 2003, a constitutional revision has changed

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Senators are chosen by an electoral college of about 165,000 local elected officials for six-year terms, and half of the Senate is renewed every three years. Before the law of 30 July 2004, senators were elected for nine years, renewed by thirds every three years. There are currently 348 senators:

4324:, issued by ministers, subordinates acting in their names, or local authorities; these may only be taken in areas of competency and within the scope delineated by primary legislation. There are also more and more regulations issued by independent agencies, especially relating to economic matters. 3650:

Council. The president can also, only once per law and with the countersigning of the prime minister, send the law back to parliament for another review. Otherwise, the president must sign the law. After being countersigned by the prime minister and the concerned ministers, it is then sent to the

2557:, the National Assembly can still cause a government to fall if an absolute majority of the total Assembly membership votes to censure. It happened once under the 5th Republic: in 1962 when the parliamentary majority of the time voted a motion of censure against the government of George Pompidou. 2336:

paying them, a joint association of employers and workers unions), assists them as well as employers seeking people, and controls them. The French State names its general director and the Parliament provides for its finances and personnel, but it only fills one-third of the seats at its decision

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Les juridictions françaises se répartissent en deux ordres : un ordre judiciaire et un ordre administratif. Les juridictions de l'ordre judiciaire sont compétentes pour régler les litiges opposant les personnes privées et pour sanctionner les auteurs d'infractions aux lois pénales. ... Les

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The main and regional audit courts do not judge the accountants of private organizations. However, in some circumstances, they may audit their accounting, especially when an organization has been awarded a government contract over a public utility or a service requiring the permanent use of the

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The most distinctive feature of the French judicial system is that it is divided into judicial and administrative streams. French law provides for a separate judicial branch with an independent judiciary which does not answer to or is directly controlled by the other two branches of government.

3804:) to the finance bills, to get such amendments passed – because of the reduced time in which the budget is examined. These are now considered unconstitutional. If Parliament cannot agree on a budget within some specified reasonable bounds, the government is entitled to adopt a budget through 2384:. Cabinets are quite important and employ numbers of highly qualified staff to follow all administrative and political affairs. They are powerful, and have been sometimes considered as a parallel administration, especially (but not only) in all matters that are politically sensitive. Each 1328:

However, when the president's political opponents control parliament, the president's dominance can be severely limited, as they must choose a prime minister and government who reflect the majority in parliament, and who may implement the agenda of the parliamentary majority. When

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public domain or if an organization is a bidder on a government contract. The Court is often solicitated by various state agencies, parliamentary commissions, and public regulators, but it can also petitioned to act by any French citizen or organization operating in France.

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issue of a vote of confidence), and unless a motion of no confidence is introduced (within 24 hours after the proposal) and passed (within 48 hours of introduction – thus full procedures last at most 72 hours), the bill is considered adopted without a vote.

1182:. Also, recent modifications of the Constitution have added a reference in the preamble to an Environment charter that has full constitutional value, and a right for citizens to contest the constitutionality of a statute before the Constitutional Council. 4019:

The Council of State hears cases against executive branch decisions and has the power to quash or set aside executive-issued statutory instruments such as orders and regulations when they violate constitutional law, enacted legislation, or codified law.

2259:); public services must request authorization from it before establishing a file with personal information, and they must heed its recommendations; private bodies must only declare their files; citizens have recourse before the commission against abuses. 1051:. It passes statutes and votes on the budget; it controls the action of the executive through formal questioning on the floor of the houses of Parliament and by establishing commissions of inquiry. The constitutionality of the statutes is checked by the 2444:

The government also maintains public establishments. These have a relative administrative and financial autonomy, to accomplish a defined mission. They are attached to one or more supervising authorities. These are classified into several categories:

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Judges are government employees but are granted special statutory protection from the executive. Judges have security of tenure and may not be promoted (or demoted) without their consent. Their careers are overseen by the Judicial Council of France.

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The government has a leading role in shaping the agenda of the houses of Parliament. It may propose laws to Parliament, as well as amendments during parliamentary meetings. It may make use of some procedures to speed up parliamentary deliberations.

3964:. A full Court is made up of a 3-judge panel and a petty jury of 9 jurors (vs. 12 jurors on appeal), who, together, render verdicts, and if a conviction is handed down, also determine a sentence. Jurors are selected at random from eligible voters. 3868:

allege that having local responsibilities ensures that members of parliament stay in contact with the reality of their constituency; also, they are said to be able to defend the interest of their city etc. better by having a seat in parliament.

4729:, with some strong similarity of organization to their metropolitan counterparts; in these overseas regions all laws of France are automatically applicable, except if a specific text provides otherwise or provides some adaptation. The four 2116:. Ordinances are also used to codify law into codes – to rearrange them for the sake of clarity without substantially modifying them. They are also sometimes used to push controversial legislation through, such as when Prime Minister 1899:

The number of ministries and the division of responsibilities and administrations between them varies from government to government. While the name and exact responsibility of each ministry may change, one generally finds at least:

1044:, the lower house of Parliament, through a motion of no-confidence; this ensures that the prime minister is practically always supported by a majority in the lower house (which, on most topics, has prominence over the upper house). 1178:. This has been judged to imply that the principles laid forth in those texts have constitutional value, and that legislation infringing on those principles should be found unconstitutional if a recourse is filed before the 4645:

meets at least three times a year and elects its president for a term of 3 years, who presides over its "permanent commission," usually consisting of 5-10 other departmental councillors elected from among their number. The

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The LOLF divides expenses according to identifiable "missions" (which can be subdivided into sub-missions etc.). The performance of the administration and public bodies will be evaluated with respect to these missions.

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very significantly the legal framework towards a more decentralized system and has increased the powers of local governments. Albeit France is still one of the most centralized major countries in Europe and the world.

2356:), a public establishment of an administrative character, regulates and maintains the allocation of radio frequency spectrum resources along with other international frequencies regulators and national regulators (the 2088:

The executive cannot issue decrees in areas that the Constitution puts under the responsibility of legislation, issued by Parliament. Still, Parliament may, through a habilitation law, authorize the executive to issue

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The ombudsman is appointed for a period of six years by the president of the republic in the Council of Ministers. He cannot be removed from office and is protected for his official actions by an immunity similar to

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organizations, though established by statute and controlled and supervised by the state, are not operated nor directly controlled by the national government. Instead, they are managed by the "social partners"

1962:. The Council of Ministers is the executive's formal decision-making body since government bills need to be approved by the Council to be introduced in Parliament, some decrees are signed during the meeting ( 1063:. Former presidents of the republic can also be members of the Council if they want to (Valéry Giscard-d’Estaing and Jacques Chirac were the only former presidents that participated into the council's work). 5193: 3815:, generally known as the LOLF. Because of the major changes involved, the application of the law was gradual, and the first budget to be fully passed under LOLF will be the 2006 budget, passed in late 2005. 3590:, the Senate has almost always had a right-wing majority. This is mostly due to the over-representation of small villages compared to big cities. This, and the indirect mode of election, prompted socialist 4458:

shall determine expenditure targets in the manner and with the reservations specified in an institutional Act. Programme Acts shall determine the objectives of the economic and social action of the State.

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Courts of administrative law adjudicate on claims and suits against government offices and agencies. The administrative stream is made up of administrative courts, courts of administrative appeal, and the

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Parliament meets for one nine-month session each year: under special circumstances the president can call an additional session. Although parliamentary powers have diminished from those existing under the

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The president signs decrees appointing and dismissing most senior civil and military servants, for positions listed in the Constitution or in statutes. He also signs decrees establishing some regulations

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As a consequence, the president of France is the pre-eminent figure in French politics. He appoints the prime minister and chairs the Council of Ministers (Cabinet meeting). Though the president may not

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system; that is, law arises primarily from written statutes; judges are not to make law, but merely to interpret it (though the amount of judge interpretation in certain areas makes it equivalent to

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examines legislation and decides whether or not it violates the Constitution. This applies, prior to their enactment, to all forms of organic laws, but only by referral from the French president,

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That is, law may lay out prohibitions only if they are needed, and if the inconveniences caused by this restriction do not exceed the inconveniences that the prohibition is supposed to remedy.

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Public media corporations should not be influenced in their news reporting by the executive in power, since they have the duty to supply the public with unbiased information. For instance, the

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can dismiss the government through a motion of censure, the government necessarily relies on a majority in Parliament, and this majority would be likely to adopt the controversial law anyway.

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tries to harmonize the text. If it does not manage to do so, the National Assembly can vote the text and have the final say on it (except for laws related to the organization of the Senate).

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created new forms of work contracts in 2005. The opposition then criticizes the use of ordinances in such contexts as anti-democratic and demeaning to Parliament. Note however that since the

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power. They are also often consulted by the government or the French Parliament seeking advice before regulating by law. They can impose sanctions that are named "administrative sanctions"

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before being submitted to parliament. Since 2009, the bill submitted to Parliament must also come with a study of the possible impact of the law: other possible options, interactions with

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The National Assembly is the principal legislative body. Its 577 deputies are directly elected for five-year terms in local majority votes, and all seats are voted on in each election.

5441: 5866: 2239:(AFP) is an independent public corporation. Its resources must come solely from its commercial sales. The majority of the seats in its board are held by representatives of the French 4272:

Freedom is the rule, and its restriction is the exception; any restriction of Freedom must be provided for by Law and must follow the principles of necessity and proportionality.

6025: 2691:(ENS) losing its working majority in the National Assembly: enjoying a 115-seat majority before the election, the governing coalition was reduced to being the largest bloc in a 2571:. Both assemblies have committees that write reports on a variety of topics. If necessary, they can establish parliamentary enquiry commissions with broad investigative power. 6010: 5970: 4093:

The Court's finances are overseen by financial commissions of the two Houses of the French Parliament which also set the Court's working budget in the annual Act of finances.

2357: 1851:("questions to the government"). In addition, ministers attend meetings of the houses of Parliament when laws pertaining to their areas of responsibility are being discussed. 4739:, generally having greater autonomy. In general, French laws are not applicable, except if a specific text provides otherwise. A new Territory was created in February 2007: 2373:), generally divided into directorates. These directorates are usually subdivided into divisions or sub-directorates. Each directorate is headed by a director, named by the 5462:

Guy Canivet was saying how the rules governing prisons disregarded the basic rule of law that liberty is the general case and prohibition the exception. See Jacques Floch,

4617:(departmental councillor) must be at least 21 years old and either live or pay taxes in the locality they are elected from. (Sociologist Jean Viard noted that half of all 3583:

The Senate's legislative powers are limited; on most matters of legislation, the National Assembly has the last word in the event of a disagreement between the two houses.

2360:(ex-CSA) and ARCEP) or public ministries, controls the operators on the national territory, and publishes compliance standards for manufacturers of radioelectric equipment. 4961: 5627: 4613:

is an institution created in 1790 by the French Revolution in each of the newly created departments (they were suppressed by the Vichy government from 1942 to 1944). A

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has accrued new powers in the course of the political decentralization that has occurred past in France during the past thirty years. There are in all more than 4,000

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presidents have not necessarily used this method). The president appoints the ministers, ministers-delegate and secretaries on the prime minister's proposal. When the

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The government also provides specialized agencies for regulating critical markets or limited resources, and markets set up by regulations. Although, as part of the

1295:. A presidential candidate is required to obtain a nationwide majority of non-blank votes at either the first or second round of balloting, which implies that the 7030: 4669:

run public high schools, but only for the building and upkeep of buildings; curricula and teaching personnel are supplied by the national Ministry of Education.

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assembly. It does not play a role in the adoption of statutes and regulations, but advises the lawmaking bodies on questions of social and economic policies.

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The general rule is that government agencies and the civil service are at the disposal of the government. However, various agencies are independent agencies (

4061: 2325:) regulates the traffic in the national air space and delivers the authorizations for airways companies and other private or public organizations and people. 1056: 528: 181: 5802: 4733:

are fully incorporated parts of the territory of the French Republic, and as such belong to the European Union, which means that European law is applicable;

4925: 1892:); the practice has continued under the Fifth Republic in a mostly honorific fashion: ministers styled "Minister of State" are of higher importance in the 2100:

The use of ordinances is normally reserved for urgent matters, or for technical, uncontroversial texts (such as the ordinances that converted all sums in

1111:—have various legal functions, and the national government is prohibited from intruding into their normal operations. France was a founding member of the 5623: 4256: 4216: 4065: 3904:

The Economic and Social Council publishes reports, which are sent to the prime minister, the National Assembly and the Senate. They are published in the

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juridictions de l'ordre administratif sont compétentes dès qu'une personne publique est en cause (une municipalité ou un service de l'État par exemple).

4338: 2441:(see "Local Government" below) has taken on new responsibilities and plays an important role in administering government services at the local level. 5053: 4827:

France has a unique organisation of its courts and tribunals which are divided into two orders: the judiciary justice and the administrative justice

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French Constitution, including the basic core constitutional values recognized by the laws of the Republic as defined by the Constitutional Council;

2332:) maintained a public registry for the allocation of social benefits to unemployed people (but now a single registry is shared with the independent 5945: 5330: 4248: 3652: 860: 4493:

of the administrative courts, the hierarchy may become somewhat unclear. The following hierarchy of norms should thus be taken with due caution:

1082:) and the administrative branch (dealing with appeals against executive decisions), each with their own independent supreme court of appeal: the 1857:

cannot pass legislation without parliamentary approval, though the prime minister may issue autonomous regulations or subordinated regulations (

2419:, supervises the activities of the distributive services in his or her jurisdiction. Generally, the services of a certain administration in a 7356: 6922: 2194: 4943: 4789: 6094: 5980: 4284:, nor does it recognize religious beliefs as a motivation for the enactment of prohibitions. As a consequence, France has long had neither 1876:

Traditionally, the government comprises members of three ranks. Ministers are the most senior members of the government; deputy ministers (

948: 2266:); the executive, in a limited number of circumstances concerning national security, may request an authorization from the commission for 5910: 5495: 4715: 2825: 4657:

Different levels of administration have different duties, and shared responsibility is common; for instance, in the field of education,

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The judicial stream of courts adjudicates civil and criminal cases. The judicial court stream consists of inferior courts, intermediate

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It has long been customary for Parliament members to hold, in addition to the office of deputy or senator, another local office such as

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are headed by a treasurer-paymaster general, appointed by the president of the republic. In the last several decades, the departmental

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affiliated with the NUPES were also labeled as Miscellaneous left by the Ministry of Interior. In the second round, the result of the

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Statute legislation may be proposed by the government (council of ministers), or by members of Parliament. In the first case, it is a

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In addition, each minister has a private office, which is composed of members whose nomination is politically determined, called the

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legal system, the basis of which is codified law; however, case law plays a significant role in the determination of the courts.

2160:, the central bank, is independent (financial and economic code, L141 and following). This was a prerequisite for integrating the 1092:

for the administrative courts. The French government includes various bodies that check abuses of power and independent agencies.

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The way the Finance Bill is organized, and the way the government has to execute the budget, were deeply reformed in 2001 by the

3342: 1922: 7070: 7055: 6972: 5391: 3831: 2310:) regulates and controls the legality and safety of products and services available on the markets open to competition for all 1333:

from opposite ends of the political spectrum control parliament and the presidency, the power-sharing arrangement is known as

921: 6823: 4909: 7454: 4625:, i.e. sons of peasants, suggesting France's deep rural roots). Though the central government can theoretically dissolve a 1932: 7177: 6940: 6596: 6586: 6222: 4167: 3701: 1884:) assist ministers in less important areas, and attend government meetings only occasionally. Before the founding of the 814: 4034:, or "Court of Jurisdictional Dispute", composed of an equal number of Supreme Court justices and councillors of State. 597: 7025: 6152: 4761: 3889: 612: 3901:

The executive may refer any question or proposal of social or economic importance to the Economic and Social Council.

6997: 6982: 5995: 5965: 5960: 5842: 5820: 5796: 5756: 5487: 4602: 4193: 3727: 2706:(RN) won a record number of seats, going from 8 to 89 MPs, thus becoming the largest opposition party in Parliament. 2377:. The central administration largely stays the same, regardless of the political tendency of the executive in power. 1910: 1869:), in which case the bill is defeated and the government has to resign. As of 2006, the use of this article was the " 1353: 1112: 897: 689: 555: 473: 5329:

Loi organique n° 2009-403 du 15 avril 2009 relative à l'application des articles 34-1, 39 et 44 de la Constitution,

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All inhabited French territory is represented in both houses of Parliament and votes for the presidential election.

4175: 3709: 2427:

are managed by a high-level civil servant, often called director, but not always; for instance, the services of the

2136:) that have been statutorily excluded from the executive's authority, although they belong in the executive branch. 7265: 7106: 7060: 6087: 6046: 6015: 4043: 2661: 2638: 2626: 2568: 2161: 2005:. Decrees can only be taken following certain procedures and with due respect to the constitution and statute law. 1179: 1052: 941: 791: 679: 649: 240: 2270:(in other circumstances, wiretaps may only be authorized within a judicially-administered criminal investigation). 699: 5903: 4030:

Any jurisdictional dispute between the judicial and administrative streams are settled by a special court called

2584: 2002: 1537: 1256: 1213:; the guarantee of property against arbitrary seizure; the accountability of government agents to the citizenry. 796: 575: 191: 5129:

authorized the government to adopt ordinances to convert sums from Francs to Euros in various legislative texts.

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may be named or moved only according to specific procedures. Public researchers and university professors enjoy

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number of magistrates from employers' unions and employees' unions. The same applies to land estate tribunals.

3705: 2549:, consists of two houses: the National Assembly and the Senate; the National Assembly is the pre-eminent body. 1937: 1124: 869: 4211: 3546: 7208: 6828: 6769: 6764: 6447: 6197: 6051: 5516: 3256: 2912: 2714: 2592: 2564: 2395:

The state also has distributive services spread throughout French territory, often reflecting divisions into

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in 1958, greatly strengthening the authority of the presidency and the executive with respect to Parliament.

849: 839: 806: 523: 6850: 5812: 5747: 5722: 5716: 5710: 5704: 5699: 5412: 4116:

In 2008, the office was enshrined in the French Constitution and three years later, in 2011, it was renamed

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to European institutions, as provided by its constitution. The French government therefore has to abide by

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into French law, to avoid late transposition of Directives, which happens often and is criticized by the

1944: 1854: 1330: 1132: 1083: 934: 854: 834: 827: 585: 374: 47: 5677: 5215: 5138: 5126: 5034: 4877: 1954:

The government holds weekly meetings (usually on Wednesday mornings): this weekly meeting, known as the

1408: 483: 458: 7304: 7225: 6992: 6902: 6881: 6581: 6571: 6561: 5896: 5403: 4736: 4259:, the general rule is that of freedom, and law should only prohibit actions detrimental to society. As 4000: 2580: 2528: 1128: 1088: 1041: 1036:

and ministers. The prime minister is appointed by the president, and is responsible to Parliament. The

746: 519: 167: 3880:

As a consequence, laws that restrict the possibilities of having multiple mandates have been enacted.

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In addition, the government owns and controls all, or the majority, of shares of some companies, like

1220:

The main processes of the French national government (most of the justice system excluded for clarity)

644: 7484: 7240: 7155: 7128: 7045: 6840: 6685: 6419: 6244: 5830: 5570: 5503: 5298: 5292: 5039: 4013: 3620: 3319: 2621: 2147:. However, their decisions can still be contested in a judicial court or in an administrative court. 2032: 1870: 1334: 966: 844: 5304: 5252: 4868:

citing the preamble of the Constitution and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

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Report of the enquiry commission of the French national assembly on the situation in French prisons

4224: 4156: 3938: 3926: 3690: 2710: 2524: 2108:

in the various laws in force in France). There is also a practice of using ordinances to transpose

1652: 1629: 1514: 1288: 1280: 1268: 1198: 1067: 1033: 590: 468: 262: 61: 5018: 2484: 2139:

These independent agencies have some specialized regulatory power, some executive power, and some

1896:

and have the ability to deputize for the PM and the authority to hold inter-ministerial meetings.

7321: 7203: 7150: 7096: 7050: 6739: 6344: 4865: 4861: 4160: 3694: 2869: 2308:

Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes (DGCCRF)

1321:

player in executive action, choosing whomever he wishes for the government, and having it follow

1136: 1075: 801: 406: 639: 7426: 7388: 7346: 7331: 7123: 6945: 6845: 6507: 6314: 6274: 6254: 6234: 6137: 5607: 5499: 5407: 5151: 4419:

of enterprises and transfers of ownership in enterprises from the public to the private sector.

4125: 2554: 2337:

board of directors (the other seats are shared equally by unions of employers and of workers).

1583: 1175: 1148: 970: 892: 203: 72: 5219: 1966:) and some constitutional powers have to be approved by the Council beforehand to be invoked. 7351: 7341: 7133: 6957: 6865: 6800: 6452: 6249: 5557: 5079: 4580: 4553:, a locally elected council. However, in 1982, the national government passed legislation to 4542: 3980: 3587: 3576: 2403: 2290:; by law, they enjoy complete freedom of speech within the ordinary constraints of academia. 2117: 2063: 1888:

in 1958, some ministers of particular political importance were called "Ministers of State" (

1885: 1601: 1509: 1325:

political agenda (parliamentary disagreements do occur, though, even within the same party).

1314: 1158: 1104: 974: 786: 765: 413: 19: 5789:

Réussir la LOLF, clé d'une gestion publique responsible et efficace. Rapport au Gouvernement

5613: 2302:, they are subordinate to the ministers, they often act with a high degree of independence. 2014:). All such decrees must be countersigned by the prime minister and the ministers concerned. 1461: 7376: 6917: 6855: 6744: 6635: 6472: 6457: 6404: 6374: 6329: 6324: 6299: 6157: 5919: 5463: 5109: 2540: 2275: 2236: 1955: 1840: 1836: 1037: 1029: 998: 990: 493: 435: 299: 289: 109: 89: 42: 6442: 4476:, modify by decrees the laws that infringe on the domain of regulations. At the same, the 2467:

public establishments of an industrial and commercial character, including, for instance,

2274:

In addition, the duties of public service limit the power that the executive has over the

1349: 8: 7459: 7416: 7336: 7290: 7167: 7160: 7140: 7101: 7013: 6805: 6774: 6749: 6715: 6617: 6612: 6364: 6354: 6304: 6264: 6217: 6212: 6202: 6187: 6182: 6177: 6162: 6147: 6142: 6132: 6127: 6122: 6117: 5688: 5597:

General government web site with all texts, including some that are translated to English

4562: 4412:

The fundamental guarantees granted to civil and military personnel employed by the State;

3919: 2221: 2140: 2109: 2022: 1466: 1296: 1284: 1246: 1210: 1025: 1002: 779: 654: 630: 568: 443: 362: 327: 282: 220: 4740: 4598: 4461:

The provisions of this article may be enlarged upon and complemented by an organic law.

3769:

Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.

2666:

Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.

532: 177: 7371: 7316: 7270: 6668: 6467: 6409: 6349: 6339: 6319: 6309: 6294: 6289: 6269: 6239: 6207: 6167: 6103: 5807:

Edward Arkwright, Stanislas Godefroy, Manuel Mazquez, Jean-Luc Bœuf, Cécile Courrèges,

5574: 4364: 4342: 4305: 3976: 3669: 2546: 1959: 1844: 1206: 1108: 1017: 887: 684: 309: 252: 4790:"Welcome to the english website of the French National Assembly – Assemblée nationale" 4541:

Traditionally, decision-making in France is highly centralized, with each of France's

4246:

laws are prohibited); to be applicable, laws must have been officially published (see

2231:) regulates the financing and spending of political parties and political campaigning. 1981:

The French executive has a limited power to establish regulation or legislation. (See

7517: 7499: 7494: 7479: 7464: 7403: 7366: 7280: 7213: 7191: 7172: 7040: 6967: 6790: 6690: 6576: 6556: 6533: 6379: 6334: 6259: 6229: 5838: 5816: 5792: 5752: 5022: 4905: 4593: 4571: 4403: 4242:

were laid in the Napoleonic Code: laws can only address the future and not the past (

4049: 3961: 3843: 2779: 2688: 2597: 2397: 1360:, in the runoff. He was the first re-elected incumbent French president since 2002. 1292: 1202: 1194: 1168:

in itself, but its preamble mentions that France should follow the principles of the

1100: 620: 512: 150: 5618: 5532: 4439:

The regime governing ownership, rights in rem, and civil and commercial obligations;

4128:. He does not receive or accept orders from any authority. The current ombudsman is 3895: 3808:: this threat prevents parliamentarians from threatening to bankrupt the executive. 1675: 548: 337: 136: 7431: 7383: 7255: 7230: 6720: 5553: 5549: 4554: 4546: 4399: 4082: 3665: 2287: 2156: 1873:" proposed by Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, a move that greatly backfired. 1670: 1606: 1013: 755: 694: 499: 244: 195: 6893: 6732: 5021:: appearance of Dominique de Villepin announcing the application of article 49-3; 2429: 674: 7526: 7489: 7474: 7469: 7411: 7326: 6886: 6627: 5214:

This immunity is called for in article 26 of the Constitution, as defined by the

5086: 4450: 4416: 4235: 4215:

The basic principles that the French Republic must respect are found in the 1789

3796:) are special Acts of Parliament voted and approved through specific procedures. 3745: 2692: 2684: 2503: 1647: 1403: 1345: 1240: 1234: 1186: 1071: 1048: 1021: 669: 539: 454: 230: 126: 6872: 4840: 4129: 2306:

The General Directorate of Competition, Consumption & Repression of Frauds (

1486: 7449: 7444: 7436: 7260: 7218: 6795: 5267: 5186:"Pompidou renversé en 1962 : la seule motion de censure qui a fait mouche" 4926:"What's in Emmanuel Macron's intray after his re-election as French president?" 3960:

is available only for severe criminal cases, which are the jurisdiction of the

3849: 3635:

cannot increase the financial load of the state without providing for funding.

2703: 2603: 2449:

public establishments of an administrative character, including, for instance:

2311: 2127: 2071: 1970: 1578: 1437: 1364:

Summary of the 10 April and 24 April 2022 French presidential election results

1262: 1165: 1116: 272: 5107:

On the legal régime of ordinances and explicit and implicit ratification, see

4320:), issued by the prime minister. There also exist secondary regulation called 4052:

of acts of Parliament. While technically not part of the judicial branch, the

2346: 1880:) assist ministers in particular areas of their portfolio; state secretaries ( 392: 7552: 7531: 7361: 7145: 6833: 5784: 5780: 5114: 4337:

and the fundamental guarantees granted to citizens for the exercise of their

4281: 4243: 4024: 3987:, and the accused is constitutionally presumed innocent until proven guilty. 3972: 3641:

start in the house of the government's choice (except in some narrow cases).

3591: 3565: 3560: 2169:

Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques et des postes (ARCEP)

2113: 1560: 1555: 1532: 1432: 1357: 1096: 915: 717: 479: 210: 58: 5642:

Rules of procedure of the National Assembly (original text, English version)

4352:

Nationality, the status and legal capacity of persons, matrimonial regimes,

2955: 2515:

and unions of employees. Their budget is separate from the national budget.

2021:, which the concerned ministers countersign. In some areas, they constitute 1491: 7245: 6950: 6907: 6707: 6678: 4756: 4430:

The self-government of territorial units, their powers and their resources;

4334: 4110: 3740: 3626: 2229:

Commission Nationale des Comptes de Campagne et des Financements Politiques

2101: 1919:(prisons, running the court system, supervision of the prosecution service) 1624: 1190: 1079: 994: 978: 3594:, who was prime minister at the time, to declare the Senate an "anomaly". 1985:

for how such regulations or legislative items interact with statute law.)

1839:, which comprises junior and senior ministers. It has at its disposal the 6912: 6815: 6660: 4446: 4353: 4260: 4239: 3984: 2727: 2608: 1139:

France was 2023 the 10th most electoral democratic country in the world.

1120: 157: 116: 79: 4823:

Access to justice in Europe: an overview of challenges and opportunities

4048:

Neither judicial nor administrative courts are empowered to rule on the

4027:, with judges having the parties submit written testimony or arguments. 3995: 7421: 6650: 5888: 5506:

was included in the results for the Miscellaneous left by the Ministry.

4465: 4442: 4309: 4289: 3813:

Loi organique n°2001-692 du 1er août 2001 relative aux lois de finances

2283: 2240: 2217: 2202: 2083: 2018: 1832: 1154: 1055:, members of which are appointed by the president of the republic, the 727: 722: 2342: 2264:

Commission nationale de contrôle des interceptions de sécurité (CNCIS)

2227:

The National Commission on Campaign Accounts and Political Financing (

2212:) supervises the granting and withdrawing of emission frequencies for 2171:), which was previously named Telecommunication Regulation Authority ( 2053:) in their fields of competence, subordinate to statutes and decrees. 737: 6759: 6072: 5491: 4681: 4433: 4376: 4285: 4106: 3822:

The budget of the national government was forecast to be 290 billion

2029:. In some cases, statutes impose a compulsory advisory review by the 982: 664: 352: 99: 4145: 3679: 2058: 1216: 5860:

L'idée de République et la jurisprudence du Conseil constitutionnel

5809:

La mise en oeuvre de la loi organique relative aux lois de finances

4490: 4387: 4346: 4228: 2267: 2262:

The National Commission for the Control of Security Interceptions (

1356:

President Macron was re-elected after beating his far-right rival,

986: 3580:, 10 the other dependencies and 12 the French established abroad. 2721:

Summary of the 12–19 June 2022 National Assembly election results

1976: 6673: 6541: 4368: 2472: 2408: 2293: 2026: 1299:

is somewhat supported by at least half of the voting population.

732: 659: 6499: 5596: 4944:"France's re-elected president prepares for a tough second term" 4468:. This separation between law and regulation is enforced by the 3629:, economical, social, financial and environmental consequences. 2452:

universities, and most public establishments of higher education

2167:

The Electronic Communications & Posts Regulation Authority (

6962: 6530: 5877: 5054:"Ministre d'Etat ou ministre : quelles différences ?" 4375:

and tribunals and the regulations governing the members of the

4363:

and other major offences and the penalties applicable to them;

3805: 2179:

for the open markets of telecommunications and postal services.

2090: 2074:(outside of the narrow case of presidential emergency powers). 1994: 1982: 1009: 18:

For a history of how the current constitution was enacted, see

2455:

establishments of a research and technical character, such as

1174:, as well as those of the preamble to the constitution of the 4673: 4372: 4360: 4295: 2699: 2512: 2496: 2460: 2279: 2213: 1958:, is chaired by the president and usually takes place at the 1185:

The foundational principles of the constitution include: the

4483: 2128:

Internal limits of the executive branch; checks and balances

1315:

president's political party or supporters control parliament

7235: 6645: 5521:

labeled as Miscellaneous right by the Ministry of Interior.

5359: 5357: 5316: 5314: 4986: 4984: 4825:. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. p. 1. 4677: 4565:(that is, the parts of France lying in Europe) consist of: 4234:

Many fundamental principles of French Law were laid in the

3957: 3823: 2490: 2456: 2338: 2105: 5691:, creating the position of the Ombudsman (updated version) 5402: 4480:

nullifies decrees that infringe on the domain of the law.

4023:

Court proceedings mostly involve written hearings and are

5981:

Territorial Cohesion and Relations with Local Authorities

4383: 2702:(NUPES) increased its total number of seats to 151 and a 2025:, in some others they must be subordinate to an existing 5354: 5311: 4981: 4549:

appointed by the central government, in addition to the

4423:

Statutes shall determine the fundamental principles of:

4394:

Statutes shall likewise determine the rules concerning:

2411:, the representative of the national government in each 1988: 5171:

Code of postal services and electronic communications,

4575:, headed by a municipal council and a mayor, grouped in 2589:

Number of Parliamentarians in the Fifth French Republic

1913:(law enforcement, relationships with local governments) 1074:. It is divided into the judicial branch (dealing with 4633:), this has happened only once in the Fifth Republic. 4512:

executive orders (advised on by the Council of State);

4327:

According to the Constitution of France (article 34):

2364: 2314:

and private consumers, and can deliver administrative

1040:, including the prime minister, can be revoked by the 2527:

is sometimes formed by the opposition parties in the

2255:

The National Commission for Computing & Freedom (

1047:

Parliament consists of the National Assembly and the

5442:"The European Ombudsman: Facilitator or Supervisor?" 4684:

have a special statute. Paris is at the same time a

4409:

The creation of categories of public establishments;

4345:

upon citizens in respect of their persons and their

4300:

French law differentiates between legislative acts (

4267:, said about what should be the rule in French law: 2257:

Commission nationale informatique et libertés (CNIL)

2070:), neither the president nor the prime minister may 977:. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, 5624: