Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister Lionel JOSPIN (since 3 June 1997)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
suggestion of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 23 April and 7 May 1995 (next to be held by May
2002); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority
and appointed by the president
election results: Jacques CHIRAC elected president; percent of vote,
second ballot—Jacques CHIRAC 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN 47.36%
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of
the Senate or Senat (321 seats—296 for metropolitan France, 13 for
overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals
abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to
serve nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years) and the
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are
elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to
serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate—last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held
September 2001); National Assembly—last held 25 May-1 June 1997
(next to be held NA May 2002)
election results: Senate—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by
party—RPR 99, Centrist Union 52, Republicans and independents 47, PS
78, PCF 16, other 29; National Assembly—percent of vote by party—NA;
seats by party—PS 245, RPR 140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, Ecologists
8, MDC 7, LDI-MPF 1, FN 1, various left 9, various right 7
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation, judges are appointed by the president from nominations of the High Council of the Judiciary; Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel, three members appointed by the president, three members appointed by the president of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the president of the Senate; Council of State or Conseil d'Etat
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic or RPR
Political pressure groups and leaders: Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, about 800,000 members (est.); independent labor union or Force Ouvriere, 1 million members (est.); independent white-collar union or Confederation Generale des Cadres, 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais) or CNPF or Patronat
International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AsDB,
Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN,
EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU,
FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURCA, MINURSO, MIPONUH,
MONUA, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL,
UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Francois V. BUJON DE L'ESTANG
chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Felix G. ROHATYN
embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08
mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 09777
consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist
side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor);
the design and colors are similar to a number of other flags,
including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, and
Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas