Independence:
486 (unified by Clovis)
National holiday:
Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although often
incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration actually
commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the
storming of the Bastille (on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of
a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are Fete
Nationale (National Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July)
Constitution:
adopted by referendum 28 September 1958, effective 4 October 1958;
amended concerning election of president in 1962; amended to comply
with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam Treaty,
2000 Treaty of Nice; amended to tighten immigration laws in 1993;
amended in 2000 to change the seven-year presidential term to a
five-year term
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)
head of government: Prime Minister Dominique DE VILLEPIN (since 31
May 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
suggestion of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(changed from seven-year term in October 2000); election last held
21 April and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first round April 2007,
second round May 2007); prime minister nominated by the National
Assembly majority and appointed by the president
election results: Jacques CHIRAC reelected president; percent of
vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN
(FN) 18.04%
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); note -
between 2004 and 2010, 25 new seats will be added to the Senate for
a total of 346 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas
departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre
and Miquelon, 3 for overseas territories, and 12 for French
nationals abroad; starting in 2008, members will be indirectly
elected by an electoral college to serve six-year terms, with
one-half the seats being renewed every three years; and the National
Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by
popular vote under a single-member majority system to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held
September 2008); National Assembly - last held 8-16 June 2002 (next
to be held not later than June 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF 33, PCF 23, RDSE 15, other 7; National
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 355,
PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Left Radical Party 7, Greens 3, other 22
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 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:
Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT];
Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly Radical
Republican and Socialist Parties, and PRG) [Jacques PELLETIER];
French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; Greens [Yan
WEHRLING, national secretary]; Left Radical Party or PRG (previously
Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG)
[Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE
VILLIERS]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Rally for
France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois
HOLLANDE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Francois BAYROU];
Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Nicolas SARKOZY]
Political pressure groups and leaders: historically-Communist labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, approximately 700,000 members (claimed); left-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, approximately 889,000 members (claimed); independent labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - Force Ouvriere) or FO, 300,000 members (est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members (claimed); employers' union (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) or MEDEF, 750,000 companies as members (claimed)