Government and Politics of France

Government Type

republic

Administrative Divisions

22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes

Legal System

civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of France dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017; reelected for a second five-year term on 24 April 2022) head of government: Prime Minister François BAYROU (since 13 January 2025) 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; election last held 10 April and 24 April 2022 (next to be held in spring 2027); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the president election results: Emmanuel MACRON reelected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Emmanuel MACRON (Renaissance) 58.55%, Marine LE PEN (RN) 41.45%

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Sénat (348 seats; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college composed of local and regional elected officials to serve six-year terms, with one-half of the seats renewed every three years) and the National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a two-round single-member majority system to serve five-year terms). Elections: Senate - last held in September 2023 (next to be held in September 2026); National Assembly - last held on 30 June and 7 July 2024 (next to be held no later than July 2029). Election results: Senate - seats by party - Les Républicains (LR) 139, Socialist Party (PS) and allies 64, Rally for the Republic (RDPI/Renaissance and allies) 57, Union Centriste (UC) 56, Rassemblement National (RN) 22, Ecologist and Solidarity Group 17, other and non-attached 13; National Assembly - seats by party - New Popular Front (NFP) coalition 193, Ensemble (centrist alliance) 166, Rassemblement National and allies 143, Les Républicains 39, other and non-attached 36.

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

Citizen and Republican Movement or MCR [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 [Yann 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]

Head of State

President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017

Head of Government

Prime Minister François BAYROU

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister

Elections

Senate - last held in September 2023 (next to be held in September 2026); National Assembly - last held on 30 June and 7 July 2024 (next to be held no later than July 2029).

Election Results

Senate - seats by party - Les Républicains (LR) 139, Socialist Party (PS) and allies 64, Rally for the Republic (RDPI/Renaissance and allies) 57, Union Centriste (UC) 56, Rassemblement National (RN) 22, Ecologist and Solidarity Group 17, other and non-attached 13; National Assembly - seats by party - New Popular Front (NFP) coalition 193, Ensemble (centrist alliance) 166, Rassemblement National and allies 143, Les Républicains 39, other and non-attached 36.

Constitution

28 September 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 to change the seven-year presidential term to a five-year term in 2000

Independence

486 (unified by Clovis)

National Holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

International Organization Participation

ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MICAH, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000 FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Craig R. STAPLETON embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08 mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 09777 telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22 FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83 consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg

Capital City

Paris

Location

48 52 N, 2 20 E

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: applies to metropolitan France only; for its overseas regions the time difference is UTC-4 for Guadeloupe and Martinique, UTC-3 for French Guiana, UTC+3 for Mayotte, and UTC+4 for Reunion

History

name derives from the Parisii, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area from the 3rd century B.C., but who were conquered by the Romans in the 1st century B.C.; the Celtic settlement became the Roman town of Lutetia Parisiorum (Lutetia of the Parisii); over subsequent centuries it became Parisium and then just Paris

U.S. Embassy Paris 2 Avenue Gabriel 75008 Telephone: 33 (1) 43 12 22 22 Fax: 33 (1) 42 66 97 83 Website: http://france.usembassy.gov/index.html U.S. Consulate General Marseilles Place Varian Fry 13286 Marseille Cedex 6 Telephone: 33 (0) 4 91 54 92 00 Fax: 04 91 55 09 47 Website: http://marseille.usconsulate.gov/about-us.html U.S. Consulate General Strasbourg 15, Avenue d'Alsace 67082 Strasbourg Cedex Telephone: 33 (3) 88 35 31 04 Fax: 33 (3) 88 24 06 95 Website: http://strasbourg.usconsulate.gov/index.html U.S. Consular Agency Nice 7, Avenue Gustave V 3rd floor Tel. 33 (4) 93 88 89 55 Fax 33 (4) 93 87 07 38 Website: http://marseille.usconsulate.gov/nice.html All of our telephone numbers below are written the way you would dial them from the United States. When calling from within France, drop the country code and add a zero. For example: 33 (1) 43 12 22 22 becomes (01) 43 12 22 22.

Military Branches

Army (Armee de Terre; includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy (Marine Nationale), Air Force (Armee de l'Air (AdlA); includes Air Defense)

Service Age and Obligation

18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; 1-year service obligation; women serve in noncombat posts