The Constitution of France

Among all other countries, France is a country holding vibrancy in its democratic system. It is a Republican country that once had gone through the widely known French Revolution. The French Revolution gave the idea of equality, liberty, and fraternity to the world and the constitution of India. 

Therefore, the constitution of France defines the governing bodies and institutions of the country. The current French constitution is widely known as the Fifth Republic of the world. The constitution of France has been through a lot of changes and modifications thus it came to be known as the Fifth Republic. It has been modified 17 times. This Fifth republic came into being in 1958, which had a big hand and contribution of the deeds of the first president and Prime Minister of France- General De Gaulle and Michel Debre, respectively. 

The Constitution of France aspires to be a Parliamentary form of government with a semi-presidential system of governance. However, when compared to other democratic countries, it can be noted that the French Constitution has given severe powers to the executive branch. 

French Parliament or Legislature

The French Parliament is Bicameral in nature. That means the French Parliament has two chambers. These chambers are the Assemblee Nationale and the Senate. The Assemblee Nationale is the primary house of the French parliament; also known as the National Assembly. And, the Senate is the second house of the French Parliament. 

The members of the French Parliament are designated as the Deputes. The Deputies are elected with the help of the principal of Universal Adult Suffrage. Just like the Indian Parliament, the elections of the legislation take place every five years in France. However, the Senators are elected by methods of Indirect elections. They are elected with the help of other locally elected representatives. 

In France, the parliamentary elections take place in two stages. In the first stage, the candidate with the absolute majority is elected- out of the total vote cast. And, the second stage involves the run-off between the candidates- which is usually taken as two. 

Executive Branch 

The branch of Executive in France includes the authorities of the President, the Prime Minister, the council of ministers with the bureaucracies. 

The President in the French Constitution is the head of the executive branch and the state. He is elected through the principle of Universal Adult Suffrage. The President is elected for a tenure of five years and can hold the office for a maximum of two terms. He has the highest authority within the country and is the leading commander of the French Military. The President helps in determining and navigating policies through the aid of the Councils of Ministers in the French Parliament. He has the authority for submitting the referendum questions. 

However, the government is headed by the Prime Minister. The President also has the responsibility of electing the Prime Minister. The approval of the president is compulsory in appointing the ministers serving the French Government. The French Cabinet meets every week and it is headed by the President. The Ministers navigate policies and bring about new legislation as bills, per the Constitution of France. 

The Judiciary is an independent branch, which is not accountable to the Executive or the legislative branch of the French Constitution. However, the ministers associated with the Justice have the authority to run the justice system within the country. 

Let’s look at the Semi-presidential system.

Semi-Presidential system

The state of France is an example of a Semi-presidential system of government. The French republic is governed by the president, prime minister, and cabinet. The prime minister of the country leads the policies related to the republic; while, the president leads the foreign-related policies. 

The semi-presidential system includes the features of the presidential system of government, along with the parliamentary system of government. In this system, the president is elected through universal adult suffrage and his tenure is also fixed. 

However, it must be noted that this system of government has evolved with time. In many states, the prime minister and the president have authority and power which is equal in nature. While, in other states, the authority is either in the hands of the prime minister or the president. 

Conclusion

France is a country holding vibrancy in its democratic system. It is a Republican country that once had gone through the widely known French Revolution. The state of France is an example of a Semi-presidential system of government. The constitution of France defines the governing bodies and institutions of the country. The current French constitution is widely known as the Fifth Republic of the world. The Fifth Republic came into being in 1958. The French Parliament is Bicameral in nature- Assemblee Nationale and Senate. The branch of Executive in France includes the President, the Prime Minister, the council of ministers with the bureaucracies. The Judiciary is an independent branch