Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995) was
elected for a seven-year term by direct universal suffrage; election
last held 17 May 1995 (next to be held by May 2002); results -
Second Ballot Jacques CHIRAC 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN 47.36%
head of government: Prime Minister Alain JUPPE (since 18 May 1995)
was appointed by the president
cabinet: the Council of Ministers was appointed by the president on
the suggestion of the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlement)
Senate (Senat): elections last held 24 September 1995 (next to be
held September 1998; nine-year term, elected by thirds every three
years); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (321 total;
296 metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and
territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad) RPR 91, UDF 132, PS
75, PCF 16, other 7
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 21 and
28 March 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - percent of vote
by party NA; seats - (577 total) RPR 247, UDF 213, PS 67, PCF 24,
independents 26; note - seating as of 24 September 1995: RPR 247,
UDF 208, PS 71, PCF 24, independents 27
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeals (Cour de Cassation),
judges are appointed by the president from nominations of the High
Council of the Judiciary
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Alain
JUPPE, president; Union for French Democracy (UDF - coalition of PR,
FD, RAD, PSD), Francois LEOTARD; Republican Party (PR), Francois
LEOTARD; Democratic Force (FD), Francois BAYROU; Radical (RAD),
Andre ROSSINOT; Socialist Party (PS), Lionel JOSPIN; Left Radical
Movement (MRG); Communist Party (PCF), Robert HUE; National Front
(FN), Jean-Marie LE PEN; The Greens, Dominique VOYNET; Generation
Ecology (GE), Brice LALONDE; Citizens Movement (MDC), Jean Pierre
CHEVENEMENT
Other political or pressure groups: Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - CGT) nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail - CFDT) about 800,000 members (est.); independent labor union (Force Ouvriere) 1 million members (est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais - CNPF or Patronat)
International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AG
(observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB
(non-regional), CE, CERN, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB,
ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR,
NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN
Security Council, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNRWA,
UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Francois BUJON DE L'ESTANG
chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San
Juan (Puerto Rico)