France is composed of 96 departments (including the
island-departments of Corsica), grouped into 22 regions
and subdivided into districts, municipalities, and cantons.
Together with the overseas departments and territories,
they constitute the French Republic.
The Fifth French Republic is governed under a constitution
adopted in 1958 and amended in 1962. It provides a strong
president, directly elected to a term of five-year office
(since the referendum of 2000 – before the term was
7 years), and a bicameral parliament.
The National Assembly is composed of 577 deputies, elected
for 5 years. The place of the Assembly is the Palais
Bourbon and is led by the Prime Minister.
The Senate holds 317 senators, elected by grand electors
(mayors....) for 9 years and renewed by third.
De Gaulle (French president 1954-1968) stressed independence
from the U.S. and NATO in military affairs. His conservative
policies were continued by his successors, Georges Pompidou
and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.
In 1981, after 23 years of Gaullist dominance, Socialist
François Mitterrand was elected president and embarked
on a programme that included administrative decentralization
and nationalization of banks and industry. In 1986 the
Socialists lost their parliamentary majority, and Mitterrand
was forced to appoint Jacques Chirac, a Gaullist, as
Premier. Chirac reversed the Socialist programme with
a policy of reprivatisation and opposed Mitterrand in
the 1988 presidential election. Mitterrand won, and
the Socialists regained control of the national assembly.
Mitterrand turned increasingly to foreign affairs and
pursued a more moderate economic program.
Rising unemployment and other economic difficulties,
as well as several corruption scandals, led to a resounding
Socialist defeat in 1993. Conservatives captured nearly
85% of the seats in the national assembly, and Édouard
Balladur, a Gaullist, became Premier.
In 1995 Chirac defeated Balladur and Socialist candidate
Lionel Jospin to succeed Mitterrand as French president.
After deciding to dissolve the National Assembly in
1997 and organising new elections for deputies, the Socialist
party won the vote and Lionel Jospin became Prime Minister.
After 5 Years of cohabitation, Lionel Jospin lost the presidential election
in 2002, marked by the qualification of the extreme right candidate for the
second round and Jacques Chirac's victory by more than 80% of votes. The
conservative party won the deputy election right after and ran the
government.
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