Presidential elections

Presidential elections determine the man (or the woman) who will be the President of the Republic for a mandate of 5years. Before the constitution of 2002, the president was elected for 7 years.

When a president is reelected we can say his mandate is renewed: a mandate can be renewed twice.

Since the referendum of 1962, the presidential elections are a uninominal direct universal suffrage. If a candidate has the absolute majority of all the suffrages, he is elected.  Otherwise, a second ballot is organized to choose between the 2 candidates who got the best results during the first round. Then, the candidate who obtains the best results wins the election and becomes the new President. Never in our country history has a President been elected in the first ballot (Charles de Gaulle got 50%, the maximum ever). Results are proclaimed y the constitutional council who must ensure the regularity of the election.

His rights

The Presidents’ powers, defined by the constitution, are divided in 2 categories: strictly powers (for which he doesn’t need the approbation of the Prime Minister or a council) and shared powers (which are shared with the government and the Prime Minister).

To be the president of the 5^th republic is the highest function of the French State.

The French president:

·         Has the executive power

·         Is the chief of French army

·         Is the highest French magistrate

·         Is the master of the Legion of Honour

·         Is the co-prince of Andorra

His main prerogatives are defined in the Constitution of 1958 and its amendments:

• The President of the republic has to ensure the application of the Constitution. He also ensures the regular functioning of public powers and the State continuity. He vouches for national independence, territory integrity and the respect of treaties.
• He appoints the Prime Minister and can put an end to his functions if he presents his resignation.  At the Prime Minister’s suggestion, he also appoints the other members of the government and can put an end to their functions.
• He presides over the ministers’ council.
• He promulgates laws within fifteen days after they have been voted and transmitted to the government. 
• At the government’s or the two chambers’ suggestion, he can submit a law or the ratification of a treaty to a referendum.
• He can, after consultation of the Prime Minister and of the Assembly’s president, pronounce the dissolution of the National Assembly. He can’t proceed to a new dissolution in the year which comes after the first.
• He accredits an ambassador and representatives to foreign countries
• He is the chief of French armies. He presides over councils and superior committees   of the National Defense.  
• When Republican institutions, the independence of the Nation, the territory’s integrity or the execution of his internationals engagements are dangerously threatened and the regular constitutional functioning is stopped, the President of the Republic can take the required decisions in such circumstances, after official consultation of the Prime Minister, the presidents of the Assembly and of the Senate and the constitutional council. He informs the Nation by a message. The aim of these decisions must be to ensure constitutional public power’s mission: the constitutional council is consulted about this. The Parliament is called together too. The National Assembly can’t be dissoluted during the practice of special powers.
• The President has the right of reprieve.

Article 68
The President of the Republic is not personally responsible for his acts accomplished during the practice of his functions except in case of high treason.  So that the president can be prosecuted, the two assemblies must first vote to give their allowance for the procedure. He is judged by the High Court of Justice.

The Senate, in France, is one of the two legislative assemblies which exist in the 5^th Republic. Its members are called senators. The Senate sits in the Luxembourg Palace, in Paris.

The role of the Senate

The Senate vote laws which are presented by the government or the National Assembly.

In case of divergence in the text voted by the National Assembly and the Senate, the two assemblies form a mixed joint commission with 14 members who try to write a common text. If the divergence persists, the National Assembly has the last word.

The president of the Senate is the second figure of the State. He assures the interim of the Republic presidency in case of disappearance of the president elected (like in 1969 after the demission of De Gaulle and in 1974 after the death of Georges Pompidou).

The president of the Senate has a renewable mandate: he is elected for 3 years. He names 3 members of the constitutional council.

The senate is administered by a board elected after every partial renewal of the Senate. The senators belong to committees and parliamentary groups they work with.

Senatorial elections

Every 6years, 343 senators are elected by third. The last elections took place in 2008.

A new reform is in progress: the number of senators increased. In the past there were 321 senators elected for 9 years, then, in 2004 there were 331, now, there are 343 but this number should increase to 348, probably in 2011.

 How can you become a senator ?How can you become a senator?

A senator must be 35years at least. Senators are elected by “départements” by the indirect suffrage.

Their electors are deputies, general councilors and delegates of municipal councils of every “département”.

The poll is the majority with two rounds in “departements” which elect 4 senators and the proportional (the biggest average) for “départements” witch elect 5 senators.

Small districts (mostly rural) have more senatorial electors than bigger districts.

12 Senators represent French outside France.

Five special qualities are required to be a good president of the republic: he must be able to assemble all French people, to convince the majority of the French, to define a long-term        vision and to set to work during his mandate. The 5^th  quality is the most special, the most important and the rarest : he must be able to set a loving relation with France. Only de Gaulle and Mitterrand  were able to do it.

 

 

 

 

When they are 16, teenagers must register at the city hall of their municipality. And when they are 18, they receive their card.

In order to vote, French people have to:

-          Be 18.

-          Be registered on electoral lists

-          Have their civil and political rights (not be in jail or senile)

-          Have the French nationality (or be a citizen of a UE member state for the municipal elections and the European elections since the Maastricht Treaty)

To vote is not compulsory in France but being registered on the lists is!

Women got the right to vote in 1944.

click in this link to see the sheme

scheme-of-our-politic-regime

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 (article sur le lien)

Pluralism (several political parties) is one of the fundamental bases of the Republic.

A party is constituted by its members who pay an annual contribution. In every election, parties have to choose a member who will be a candidate and who will represent them. They draft an electoral program which includes all their ideas and all that they will implement if they are elected. The activists of the party organize a big advertising campaign: pamphlets distribution, sticking of posters, political debates …

Here are the most important political parties and their main ideas: