At stake in this election:

• 577 seats in the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Jacques CHIRAC
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN
• Assembly: France has a bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consisting of the Senate (Sénat) with 321 seats and the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) with 577 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Senate (Sénat) 321 members are elected by an electoral college. In the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) 577 members are elected by popular vote.

Main parties in the Second Round of the electoral race:

• Party: Union for the Presidential Majority (UMP)
  • Leader: Jacqques CHIRAC
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 309
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: N/A
• Party: Socialist Party (PS)
  • Leader: Francois HOLLANDE
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 138
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: 241
• Party: Union for French Democracy (UDF)
  • Leader: Francois BAYROU
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 23
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: 108
• Party: French Communist Party (PCF)
  • Leader: Robert HUE
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 21
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: 38
• Party: Others
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 28
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: N/A

Last Legislative election:

• National Assembly elections were last held May 25 and June 1, 1997. First Round held on June 9, 2002.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 61,805,267 (2002)
• Registered Voters: 41,193,693 (2002)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 31,603,453 (2002)

·         Is France a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has France ratified CEDAW: Yes (14 December 1980)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 71 (National Assembly) following 2002 election; 35 (Senate) following 2001 election) 

·         Human Development Index Position: 22 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low

Disability Data:

·         Is France a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has France ratified CRPD: Yes (18 February 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 9,270,790 (est.)