Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of the Interior Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry Minister of Defence Minister of Justice Minister of National Education
The French Senate is the Upper House of the French Parliament. It is presided over by a President. Although there had been Senates in both the First and Second Empires, these had not technically been legislative bodies, but rather advisory bodies on the model of the Roman Senate. France's first experience with an upper house was under the Directory from 1795 to 1799, when the Council of Ancients was the upper chamber. With the Restoration in 1814, a new Chamber of Peers was created, on the model of the British House of Lords. At first it contained hereditary peers, but following the July Revolution of 1830, it became a body to which one was appointed for life. The Second Republic returned to a unicameral system after 1848, but soon after the establishment of the Third Republic in 1870, a Senate was established as the upper chamber. In the Fourth Republic, the Senate was renamed the Council of the Republic, but its function was largely the same. With the new constitution of the Fifth Republic in 1959, the older name of Senate was restored.
The President of the Senate, in addition to his duties as presiding officer of the Upper House of parliament, is also, according to the constitution of the Fifth Republic, first in line of succession in case of death or resignation of the president, thus becoming Acting President of the Republic until a new election can be held.
On April 7, 1789, when the Senate created the position of Doorkeeper and appointed James T. Mathers to the position, it empowered him to ensure that senators stayed in the Senate Chamber to start the business of government.
In 1798, the Senate appended the title “Sergeant at Arms” when it authorized then-Doorkeeper James Mathers to compel former Senator William Blount to return to Philadelphia, where the Senate met, to face an impeachment trial.
Soon after the retitling, the Senate gave the Sergeant at Arms authority to “summon and command the absent Members” to appear in the Chamber to establish a quorum—the language was later modified to “...
French National Assembly has the power to dismiss the Prime Minister's gouvernement, the president is forced to name a prime minister that is agreeable to the majority of this assembly.
List of French prime ministers, This article is part of the series French Officials President of France Prime Minister of France Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of the Interior Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry Minister of Defence Minister of Justice Minister of National Education Presidents of the Senate (List) Presidents of the National...
Feeds |
Contact