French Political System

Jeroen Zwanepol – Victor Verlaan – Pieter Clemens – Ysbrandt Kaaks – Jan Boumeester –Domas Syaifoel

French Political System

• The system in general• French political parties and their ideologies• Indirect voting/appointed layers• Layers• Governmental bodies

• Semi-presidential system• Assemblée Nationale = Lower House• Senate = Upper House• Cohabitation: prime minister and president

come from opposing parties

French political parties

• The Union for a Popular Movement• The Union for French Democracy• The Socialist Party• The Greens• The National Front

Ideologies• The Socialist Party: left wing party

- higher taxes for the rich- comparable to SP in the Netherlands

• The Union for a Popular Movement: right wing- tax capped

- lower influence of government- comparable to VVD in the Netherlands

• The National Front: heavy right wing- zero tolerance immigration policy- nationalist- lower influence of government- comparable foreign policies to PVV in the Netherlands

Layers

• 4 layers:– Nation: President– Regions: Regional President and Council• 22 Régions, Counceil Régional

– Departments: General President and Council• 96 Départements, Counceil Géneral

– Communes: Mayor and Municipal Council• 36,381 Communes, Maire et Counceil Municipal

Governmental Bodies• ADEME• ADIT• ANDRA• ANVAR• ANR• BDL• BRGM• CEA• CEMAGREF• CESBIO• CIRAD• CNRS• INFREMER• IGN

Governmental Bodies• INED• INERIS• INRA• INRETS• INRIA• INRP• INSERM• INSU• IRD• IRNS• Météo France• ONERA• ONF• SHOM

Characteristics• Executive branch:

– President• Prime minister

• Legislative branch:– Parliament

• National assembly• senate

• Judicial branch:– Judicial stream

• Inferior courts• Intermediate appellate courts• French Supreme Court

– Administrative stream• Administrative courts• Courts of administrative appeal• Council of state