France

===Government===
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 | image1            = Emmanuel Macron 2023 (cropped).jpg
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 | caption1          = [[Emmanuel Macron]]<br />[[President of France]]<br />since 14 May 2017
 | image2            = Gabriel Attal, February 2023.jpg
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 | caption2          = [[Gabriel Attal]]<br />[[Prime Minister of France]]<br />since 9 January 2024
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France is a [[representative democracy]] organised as a [[Unitary state|unitary]], [[Semi-presidential system|semi-presidential]] [[republic]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constitutional Limits on Government: Country Studies – France |url=http://www.democracyweb.org/limits/france.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828081904/http://democracyweb.org/limits/france.php |archive-date=28 August 2013 |access-date=30 September 2013 |website=Democracy Web: Comparative studies in Freedom}}</ref> As one of the earliest republics of the modern world, democratic traditions and values are deeply rooted in French culture, identity and politics.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=France {{!}} History, Map, Flag, Capital, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/France |access-date=27 August 2021 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> The Constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by [[1958 French constitutional referendum|referendum]] on 28 September 1958, establishing a framework consisting of executive, legislative and judicial branches.<ref>{{Cite book |first=Helen |last=Drake |title=Contemporary France |date=2011 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-333-79243-8 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7L8cBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA95 95] |doi=10.1007/978-0-230-36688-6}}</ref> It sought to address the instability of the Third and Fourth Republics by combining elements of both parliamentary and presidential systems, while greatly strengthening the authority of the executive relative to the legislature.<ref name=":1"/>

The executive branch has two leaders. The [[President of France|President of the Republic]], currently [[Emmanuel Macron]], is the [[head of state]], elected directly by universal adult suffrage for a five-year term.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Le quinquennat : le référendum du 24 Septembre 2000 |trans-title=The 5-year term: referendum of 24 September 2000 |url=http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/dossiers/quinquennat/index.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812105736/http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/dossiers/quinquennat/index.shtml |archive-date=12 August 2010 |language=fr}}</ref> The [[Prime Minister of France|Prime Minister]], currently [[Gabriel Attal]], is the [[head of government]], appointed by the President to lead the [[Government of France|government]]. The President has the power to dissolve Parliament or circumvent it by submitting referendums directly to the people; the President also appoints judges and civil servants, negotiates and ratifies international agreements, as well as serves as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The Prime Minister determines public policy and oversees the civil service, with an emphasis on domestic matters.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 March 2013 |title=The French National Assembly – Constitution of October 4, 1958 |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/8ab.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313212736/http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/8ab.asp |archive-date=13 March 2013 |access-date=27 August 2021}}</ref> In the [[2022 French presidential election|2022 presidential election]], president Macron was re-elected.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 April 2022 |title=What's in Emmanuel Macron's intray after his re-election as French president? |language=en |work=the Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/24/whats-in-emmanuel-macrons-intray-after-his-re-election-as-french-president}}</ref> 2 months later, in the [[2022 French legislative election|June 2022 legislative elections]], Macron lost his parliamentary majority and had to form a [[minority government]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 July 2022 |title=France learns parliamentary democracy the hard way |language=en |work=Politico |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/france-learns-parliamentary-democracy-the-hard-way/}}</ref>

[[File:Palais Bourbon, Paris 7e, NW View 140402 1.jpg|thumb|[[Palais Bourbon]], the meeting place of the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]], the lower legislative chamber of the [[French Parliament]]]]
The legislature consists of the [[French Parliament]], a [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] body made up of a [[lower house]], the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] (''Assemblée nationale'') and an [[upper house]], the [[Senate (France)|Senate]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The National Assembly and the Senate&nbsp;– General Characteristics of the Parliament |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/synthetic_files/file_4.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205055025/http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/synthetic_files/file_4.asp |archive-date=5 December 2008 |website=Assemblée Nationale}}</ref> Legislators in the National Assembly, known as ''[[députés]]'', represent local constituencies and are directly elected for five-year terms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election of deputies |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/election.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704054719/http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/election.asp |archive-date=4 July 2011 |website=Assemblée Nationale}}</ref> The Assembly has the power to dismiss the government by majority vote. Senators are chosen by an electoral college for six-year terms, with half the seats submitted to election every three years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The senatorial elections |url=http://www.senat.fr/lng/en/election_senateurs.html |website=Sénate |access-date=30 July 2010 |archive-date=15 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615001205/http://www.senat.fr/lng/en/election_senateurs.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Senate's legislative powers are limited; in the event of disagreement between the two chambers, the National Assembly has the final say.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 August 2007 |title=Le role du Sénat |trans-title=What is the purpose of the Senate? |url=http://www.politique.net/2007081801-le-role-du-senat.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618060857/http://www.politique.net/2007081801-le-role-du-senat.htm |archive-date=18 June 2010 |language=fr}}</ref> The parliament is responsible for determining the rules and principles concerning most areas of law, political amnesty, and fiscal policy; however, the government may draft specific details concerning most laws.

Until World War II, [[Radicalism (historical)|Radicals]] were a strong political force in France, embodied by the [[Republican, Radical and Radical-Socialist Party]] which was the most important party of the Third Republic. From World War II until 2017, French politics was dominated by two politically opposed groupings: one left-wing, the [[French Section of the Workers' International]], which was succeeded by the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] (in 1969); and the other right-wing, the [[Gaullist Party]], whose name changed over time to the [[Rally of the French People]] (1947), the [[Union of Democrats for the Republic]] (1958), the [[Rally for the Republic]] (1976), the [[Union for a Popular Movement]] (2007) and [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]] (since 2015). In the 2017 presidential and legislative elections, the [[Radical centrism|radical centrist]] party [[La République En Marche!]] (LREM) became the dominant force, overtaking both Socialists and Republicans. LREM's opponent in the second round of the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections was the growing far-right party [[National Rally]] (RN). Since 2020, [[Europe Ecology – The Greens]] (EELV) have performed well in mayoral elections in major cities<ref>{{Cite web | author = Romain Brunet | website = France24 | title = After green wave in local elections, is France's left back on track? | date = 29 June 2020 | url = https://www.france24.com/en/20200629-after-green-wave-in-local-elections-is-france-s-left-back-on-track | language = en}}</ref> while on a national level, an alliance of Left parties (the [[NUPES]]) was the second-largest voting block elected to the lower house in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web | website = France 24 | title = Takeaways from the final round of France's parliamentary elections | url = https://www.france24.com/en/france/20220620-takeaways-from-the-second-round-of-france-s-parliamentary-elections | date = 20 June 2022 | language = en }}</ref> Additionally, [[right-wing populism|right-wing populist]] RN became the largest opposition party in the National Assembly in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web | website = Politico | title = The makeover of France's National Rally | url = https://www.politico.eu/article/marine-le-pen-for-frances-national-rally-the-past-still-looms/ | date = 16 October 2022 | language = en }}</ref>

The electorate is constitutionally empowered to vote on amendments passed by the Parliament and bills submitted by the president. Referendums have played a key role in shaping French politics and even foreign policy; voters have decided on such matters as Algeria's independence, the election of the president by popular vote, the formation of the EU, and the reduction of presidential term limits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=France – Parliamentary composition and functions |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/France |access-date=27 August 2021 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref>