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Country Profile:

France French Republic Region: Europe

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Nicolas SARKOZY *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Francois FILLON
• Assembly: France has a bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consisting of the Senate (Sénat) with 331 seats and the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) with 577 seats.

* The President is elected by absolute majority vote to serve a 5-year term renewable once. If no candidate obtains a majority in the first-round election, a second round is held between the two candidates with the highest votes in the first round.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Senate (Sénat) 331 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 9-year terms*. In the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) 577 members are elected by absolute majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.

* 331 members are elected by indirect vote in an electoral college to serve 9-year terms. One third of the Senate is renewable every three years.

Population:

• Population: 62,752,136 (July 2006 est.)

Future elections

• Presidential - 2012
• Legislative - June 2012

Past elections

• Legislative
  Second Round - June 17, 2007
• Legislative
  First Round - June 10, 2007
• Presidential
  Second Round - May 6, 2007
• Presidential
  First Round - April 22, 2007
• Referendum - May 29, 2005
• Legislative
  Second Round - June 16, 2002
• Legislative
  First Round - June 9, 2002
• Presidential
  Second Round - May 5, 2002
• Presidential
  First Round - April 21, 2002
• Referendum - September 24, 2000

Last Updated on 02/04/2010