France: Government
Government
Since the Revolution of 1789, France has had an extremely uniform and centralized administration, although constitutional changes in 2003 now permit greater autonomy to the nation's regions and departments. The country is governed under the 1958 constitution (as amended), which established the Fifth French Republic and reflected the views of Charles de Gaulle. It provides for a strong president, directly elected for a five-year term; an individual is limited to two terms as president. A premier and cabinet, appointed by the president, are responsible to the National Assembly, but they are subordinate to the president. The bicameral legislature consists of the National Assembly and the Senate. Deputies to the 577-seat National Assembly are elected for five-year terms from single-member districts. The 348 senators are elected for six-year terms from each department by an electoral college composed of the deputies, district council members, and municipal council members from the department, with one half of the Senate elected every 3 years.
France's 22 administrative regions (see above under
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- The Contemporary Era
- Gaullist France
- The Fourth Republic and Postwar France
- The World Wars
- Royalism, Reform, and the Birth of Modern France
- The Revolution and Napoleon I
- The Ancien Régime and Attempts at Reform
- The Reformation and its Aftermath
- The Making of a Nation
- The Birth of France
- Ancient Gaul to Feudalismthe Birth of France
- Government
- Economy
- People
- Land
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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