Politics, constitution and administrative structure of France

France is a democratic social state with a Republican form of government. The administrative division of France is composed of more than 20 regions, about a hundred departments, and several tens of thousands of communes. The French legislation is based on the Constitution of 1958. It is worth noting that until 1995, almost every 10 years, the constitution was amended and corrected. The head of state is the President. He is elected through a voting process. If, however, after the election, both candidates obtain an equal number of votes, a second round of elections will be conducted in the country. The main function of the President is the strict observance and implementation of the rules and norms of the Constitution. He acts as a national arbitrator. Also, the President is the world guarantor of the security of the borders of his country.

He is accountable for the national and civil integrity of the state, and for the welfare of the entire local population. In addition, the President is also the supreme Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces of the country; he has the right to appoint officials to the highest positions in the military sphere. In addition, the President appoints the Prime Minister and together with him, forms the government on an equal basis. At each meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, the President acts as chairman. Every decision of the Cabinet must be approved by the President. It is worth noting that the President is elected, regardless of the opinion of the Parliament. The key aspect in this case is the opinion of the French citizens who have reached the age of 18. If the President’s policy is inconsistent with the policy of the parliament, or if he reveals deputies acting contrary to the constitutional norms and obligations, he has the right to dissolve the parliament and to declare fresh elections.

Also, take into account that the President has the right of veto, and can apply it to any decision of the Parliament. The French Constitution also grants the President the right to conduct any action in case of an extraordinary situation that threatens the activities of public authorities, the country’s integrity, or security of the local population. The Prime Minister appointed by the President, is accountable to the President and to the Parliament. His duties include managing the composition of parliament and enforcing laws. As a rule, the Prime Minister together with the President of France is responsible for developing a program on which the government should work. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The Parliament in France has a bicameral structure. The first chamber is called the National Assembly, and the second, traditionally, the Senate. Deputies of the first chamber take to their posts by majority principle. The duration of each deputy’s stay in office is 5 years. As a rule, the National Assembly is responsible for carrying out the legislative activities, which is fixed in the Constitution. Also, the Deputies participate in the reviewing and approval of the budget. The Upper Chamber and the Senate has 317 deputies. The officials get to the positions by a two-step voting process, and are only eligible to serve in the Senate for 3 years. At the same time, the elections of new members of the Senate are organized in such a way that a third part of the members is updated annually.

It is worth noting that in France since the middle of the last century there is another non-standard governing body, called Constitutional Council. It is designed to consider acts that are issued by the authorities. Such a procedure is necessary to strictly control compliance with all legislative projects of the current Constitution. The Council comprises of 9 members, who are appointed personally by the President of the Country. The most important body of the judiciary is the Court of Cassation. This Court is headed by the President, as well as six judges who act as Chairmen. The Supreme Council nominates judges, and only the President has the right to approve them. There are several types of courts functioning in the country, among which you can find Appellate courts, regional courts, supreme courts and courts of first instance, as well as the military tribunal.

France’s Domestic Policy is aimed at combating crime, and strengthening the economic landscape of the Country. Deputies are engaged in trying to curb the growth of unemployment, especially among emigrants. Furthermore, various administrative reforms are annually carried out, which provide for the decentralization of power. The people of France encourage the desire of the State to give more power to Local Governments. The Country’s Foreign Policy is mainly directed towards the strengthening of the European Union and the development of common economic area. The policy of action, in general, reflects the specifics of the work of the European Union. It is worth noting that France had been a member of NATO since the beginning of its formation, but left the organization in 1966. To date, the French Armed Forces include the army, the navy, the air force, and the corps of gendarmes. The total number of Armed Forces is recorded at 400,000 personnel.