Parliament of France Information
The French Parliament (French: Parlement français) or Parliament of France is the bicameral legislature of the French government, consisting of the Senate (Sénat) and the National Assembly (Assemblée nationale). Each house of parliament conducts legislative sessions at a separate location in Paris: the Palais du Luxembourg for the Senate, the Palais Bourbon for the National Assembly.
Each house has its own regulations and rules of procedure. However, they may occasionally meet as a single house, the French Congress (Congrès du Parlement français), convened at the Château de Versailles, to revise and amend the Constitution of France.
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Organization and powers
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Parliament meets for a one 9-month session each year: under special circumstances the president can call an additional session. Although parliamentary powers have diminished from those existing under the Fifth Republic, the National Assembly can still cause a government to fall if an absolute majority of the total Assembly membership votes a censorship motion. As a result, the Administration (Prime Minister and ministers) must be from the same political party as the Assembly and should be supported by a majority there. Periods during which the President of France is not from the same political party as the Prime Minister are known as cohabitation.
The cabinet has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament. The government also can link its term to a legislative text which it proposes, and unless a motion of censure is introduced (within 24 hours after the proposal) and passed (within 48 hours of introduction – thus full procedures last at most 72 hours), the text is considered adopted without a vote. However, this procedure has been limited by the 2008 constitutional amendment.
Members of Parliament enjoy parliamentary immunity. Both assemblies have committees that write reports on a variety of topics. If necessary, they can establish parliamentary enquiry commissions with broad investigative power. However, the latter possibility is almost never exercised, since the majority can reject a proposition by the opposition to create an investigation commission. Also, such a commission may only be created if it doesn't interfere with a judiciary investigation, meaning that in order to cancel its creation, one just needs to press charges on the topic concerned by the investigation commission. Since 2008, the opposition may impose the creation of an investigation commission once a year, even against the wishes of the majority. However, they still can't lead investigations if there is a judiciary case going on already (or started after the commission was formed).
History
The French Parliament, as a legislative body, should not confused with the various parlements of the Ancien Régime in France, which were courts of justice and tribunals with certain political functions.
The Parliament, in the modern meaning of the term, appeared in France during the French Revolution. Its form – unicameral, bicameral, or multicameral – and its functions have taken different forms throughout the different political regimes and according to the various French constitutions:
References
- This article is based on the article Parlement français from the French Wikipedia, retrieved on 13 October 2006.
Further reading
- Frank R. Baumgartnerm, "Parliament's Capacity to Expand Political Controversy in France", Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Feb. 1987), pp. 33–54
See also
- Comité d'histoire parlementaire et politique (in French) Committee for parliamentary and political history (in English)
- Constitution of France
- Government of France
- History of France
- Politics of France
External links
- Official site of the Parlement français (in French)
- Site of the CHPP (Comité d'histoire parlementaire et politique) and of Parlement(s), Revue d'histoire politique (in French)
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Categories: French law | Government of France | Parliaments by country | Politics of France | Bicameral legislatures | Parliament of France
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