How does frances government work

Senators are elected for 6-year terms previously 9-year terms , and half of the seats are re-elected every 3 years. The Senate bows to the authority of the National Assembly in the event of a disagreement.

The French Government has significant influence on the agenda of Parliament. Parliament comes together for a nine-month session each year, though an additional session can be called if required. The National Assembly has the power to collapse a government if an absolute majority votes to censure.

Members of Parliament have full parliamentary immunity. Each assembly has a committee that write reports, and each can establish parliamentary enquiry commissions if required. The President is the more powerful of the two, and he appoints the Prime Minister — he cannot dismiss him, but can ask him to resign if in the same party. France is characterised by a flexible separation of powers, i.

France is a unitary State organised on a decentralised basis under the Constitution. More importantly, the so-called 'Defferre Acts' of and initiated the decentralisation process. The State's supervisory powers over the local authorities' activities were abolished. The Regions were turned into territorial authorities run by directly elected assemblies. Decentralisation was further developed with the constitutional reform by which the status of the Regions was constitutionally recognised and France became a unitary and decentralised state.

The reform enshrines the local authorities' financial autonomy and authorises local referenda. In , the Departments and Regions were attributed some new competences. They are not bestowed with legislative powers. They exercise their functions by means of regulations for some fields and through the execution of their budget. On 16 th July , the National Assembly and the Senate adopted a territorial reform law reducing the 22 regions to 13 metropolitan regions.

These reforms aimed at strengthening the capabilities of regional governmental units in France, extending regional authorities' competencies in economic development, tourism, business development and professional training.

The constitutional council is elected by the president and parliament. The independent judiciary system does not answer to, and is not controlled by, the other two branches of government. Court of cassation judges are appointed by the president of the republic from nominations from the high council of the judiciary, presided by the court of cassation and 15 appointed members. The national assembly has the power to force the resignation of the executive cabinet by a vote.

Both the senate and assembly contain committees that write reports and can establish parliamentary inquiry commissions with broad investigative power. The national assembly has members elected by absolute majority vote in single-member constituencies. The Constitution Enacted on 4th October , the Constitution of the Fifth Republic is largely based on the principles set out by General de Gaulle during his famous speech in Bayeux on 16th June the accountability of the Government to the Parliament, made up of two chambers, with a stronger parliamentary system, and the accountability of the president of the Republic to the people.

The general policy statement The general policy statement is a tradition in the Fifth Republic but is not an obligation laid down by the Constitution. Therefore, some Governments have never made such commitments and accordingly drew legitimacy solely from appointment by the President of the Republic, or, as in the case of the ninth parliament to because they did not have an absolute majority in the National Assembly.

However, since , all Governments have asked for a vote of confidence by the National Assembly within a few days of appointment. In particular, several Governments have asked for a vote of confidence by the National Assembly in relation to a special event.

In total, Article 49, paragraph 1 has been exercised 35 times since Provisions of Article 49 of the Constitution Title V of the Constitution of 4 October covers relations between the Parliament and the Government Article 34 to In the event of a negative vote by the absolute majority of votes cast, the Government must resign; by the tabling of a censure motion by one-tenth of the members of parliament, adopted by the absolute majority of the members of the National Assembly.

The Government is consequently overturned; when the Government applies Article Members of parliament can table a censure motion and vote on it within 48 hours to object to legislation being adopted without a vote.