IFES Election Guide - Country Profile: France

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Legislative
2017
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First Round
2017

France
French Republic
Region: Europe

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President François HOLLANDE
Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Marc AYRAULT
Assembly: France has a bicameral Parliament (Parlement français) consisting of the Senate (Sénat) with 331 seats and the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) with 577 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the president.
In the Senate (Sénat) 331 members are indirectly elected by an electoral college 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.**

* Electoral Colleges are 128 territorial constituencies (number of seats dependent on population) comprising the departments of metropolitan France, overseas departments and territories, territorial collectivities and French citizens residing abroad One third of the Senate is renewable every three years.

** A candidate is elected in the first round if he/she obtains an absolute majority of the total votes cast, provided this amount is equal to a quarter of the number of registered voters in the particular constituency. In order to be eligible for the second round, candidates must have obtained a number of votes equal to at least 12.5% of the total number of registered voters. However, if only one candidate fulfills this condition, the person who polls the second largest number of votes in the first ballot may also participate in the second at which, to be elected, a simple majority suffices