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Republican Guard (France)

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The Republican Guard ( French : Garde républicaine , [ɡaʁd ʁepyblikɛn] ) is part of the French National Gendarmerie . It is responsible for special security duties in the Paris area and for providing guards of honour at official ceremonies of the French Republic .

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89-1020: Its missions include guarding important public buildings in Paris, such as the Élysée Palace (the residence of the President of the French Republic ), the Hôtel Matignon (the residence of the Prime Minister of France ), the Luxembourg Palace (the Senate ), the Palais Bourbon (the National Assembly ) and the Palais de Justice , as well as keeping public order in Paris. Ceremonial and security services for

178-399: A Doctor of Law degree there in 1973 with her thesis Salarié actionnaire (English: "Employee Shareholders"), and Pantheon-Sorbonne University , where she earned a Doctorate in political science in 1982 and defended her thesis Décisions politiques et structures administratives (English: "Political Decisions and Administrative Structures"). During her university years, she was a member of

267-462: A motorcycle squadron) and a horse cavalry regiment. It also has four musical formations , as well as display teams demonstrating prowess in horseback or motorcycle maneuvers. The Guard is commanded by a general de division (major general). It is headquartered in the Quartier des Célestins , Paris, built in 1895–1901, designed by the renowned French architect Jacques Hermant . Headquartered in

356-693: A Popular Movement (UMP), a merger she opposed at first. Alliot-Marie was Minister of Defense during Jacques Chirac's second presidential term, France's first woman in this position. Between May and June 2002, she was also in charge of Veterans' Affairs . Forbes magazine declared her the 57th most powerful woman in the world in 2006 and the 11th in 2007. She kept the Defense portfolio in Jean-Pierre Raffarin 's three governments and in Dominique de Villepin 's government. She remained

445-648: A case involving Dominique de Villepin , Michel Barnier and Michèle Alliot-Marie be referred to the Court of Justice of the Republic. These former ministers were suspected of having allowed the exfiltration of the mercenaries responsible for the attack on the Bouaké camp in 2004, killing nine French soldiers. The operation was allegedly intended to justify a response operation against the Laurent Gbagbo government in

534-615: A few months in office. She was succeeded by outgoing Defense Minister and former Prime Minister Alain Juppé . In the 2012 French legislative elections , she lost her seat as Deputy (MP) for the 6th constituency of Pyrénées-Atlantiques to Socialist Party candidate Sylviane Alaux  [ fr ] in the second round, 48.38% to Alaux's 51.62% share of the vote. Ministerial offices Electoral mandates European parliament National Assembly General Council Municipal Council Party political offices In 1972,

623-548: A guard prevented Alliot-Marie from entering the National Assembly chamber because she was wearing pants; women were not allowed to wear pants to work in white-collar government jobs until the late 1960s and not in the Assembly until some years later. In early 2009, Alliot-Marie received an anonymous death threat accompanied by a 9mm-calibre bullet. In 2016, French investigating judge Sabine Kheris requested that

712-462: A hotel-casino on the front of the main beach of the town, which caused a collapse of the council. Early municipal elections in 1991 were won by Didier Borotra, who united the local UDF, two elected Socialists , and Basque nationalists , who provided additional support. She left the council at the same time that her father was defeated as Mayor. She then served as Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-Luz from 1995 until 2002, and as First Deputy Mayor since then. She

801-618: A leading Gaullist after the RPR merger into the UMP, and created her own movement within the party, Le Chêne (The Oak). Although she publicly considered competing with Nicolas Sarkozy for the UMP nomination in the 2007 presidential election , she ruled herself out of the running in January 2007 and endorsed Sarkozy. Sarkozy and Alliot-Marie had a history of disagreements in the party's National Council. After Sarkozy's election as president, Alliot-Marie

890-563: A name change from Michèle Marie to her name since then, Michèle Alliot-Marie. She was first assistant at Panthéon-Assas University and then the University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne between 1970 and 1984, before becoming a Maître de conférences (equal to an associate professor) in public law from 1984, a position she left when she got elected to the French National Assembly in 1986. In 1972, she became

979-486: A popularity that transcends borders", and it contributes "to the splendour of the French military and France." These ceremonial functions are performed mainly by the first infantry regiment, the cavalry regiment and occasionally by the second infantry regiment. Detachments from the cavalry regiment reinforce the two infantry regiments in carrying out ceremonial and security duties in and around state buildings. These include

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1068-472: A presidential pardon is that the former clears all subsequent effects of the sentencing, as though the crime had not been committed, while pardon simply relieves the sentenced individual from part or all of the remainder of the sentence. Articles 67 and 68 organize the regime of criminal responsibility of the president. They were reformed by a 2007 constitutional act in order to clarify a situation that previously resulted in legal controversies. The president of

1157-456: A referendum with advice and consent of the cabinet. Article 12 : The president of the republic may, after consulting the prime minister and the presidents of the assemblies, declare the National Assembly dissolved. A general election shall take place not less than twenty days and not more than forty days after the dissolution. The National Assembly shall convene as of right on the second Thursday following its election. Should it so convene outside

1246-419: A residence stipend of 3%, and a function stipend of 25% on top of the salary and residence indemnity. This gross salary and these indemnities are the same as those of the prime minister, and are 50% higher than the highest paid to other members of the government, which is itself defined as twice the average of the highest (pay grade G) and the lowest (pay grade A1) salaries in the "out of scale" pay grades. Using

1335-416: A security detail, a car with a chauffeur, first class train tickets and an office or housing space, as well as a two people who service the space. In addition, funds are available for seven permanent assistants. President Hollande announced a reform of the system in 2016. Former presidents of France will no longer receive a car with chauffeur and the personnel in their living space was cut as well. Additionally,

1424-492: A technical adviser to Edgar Faure , who was by then the Minister of Social Affairs until 1976; and then she was a technical adviser to then-Secretary of State for Universities Jean-Pierre Soisson . She then became an adviser to then- Minister of Departments and Overseas Territories Bernard Stasi from 1973 to 1974, and then to then- Secretary of State for Tourism Gérard Ducray  [ fr ] in 1974. She then became

1513-499: A way that evidently precludes the continuation of their term. Upon the death in office, removal, or resignation of the president, the Senate 's president takes over as acting president. Alain Poher is the only person to have served in this temporary position, and has done so twice: the first time in 1969 after Charles de Gaulle 's resignation and a second time in 1974 after Georges Pompidou 's death while in office. In this situation,

1602-471: A woman, Major Aurore Tillac , who serves as choir master and director. President of France The president of France , officially the president of the French Republic (French: Président de la République française ), is the executive head of state of France , and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces . As the presidency is the supreme magistracy of the country,

1691-781: Is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from France . She is a member of the Republicans , part of the European People's Party . A member of all right-wing governments formed in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, she was the first woman in France to hold the portfolios of Defense (2002–2007), the Interior (2007–2009) and Foreign Affairs (2010–2011); she has also been in charge of Youth and Sports (1993–1995) and Justice (2009–2010), and

1780-498: Is also a recipient of the Faculty of Law and Economics . During her university studies, Alliot-Marie (then still known as Michèle Marie) began having a relationship with her then-law professor Michel Alliot  [ fr ] , who was also chief of staff to then- Education Minister (1968-1969) Edgar Faure . Marie and Alliot married in 1971, thus gaining her frequent access to academic and corporate environments; this also led to

1869-652: Is not able to act, the Senate will normally name a new president of the Senate, who will act as President of the Republic. During the Third French Republic the president of the Council of Ministers acted as president whenever the office was vacant. According to article 7 of the Constitution, if the presidency becomes vacant for any reason, or if the president becomes incapacitated, upon the request of

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1958-402: Is quite powerful. Although the Prime Minister of France , through their government as well as Parliament, oversees much of the nation's actual day-to-day domestic affairs, the French president wields significant influence and authority, especially in the fields of national security and foreign policy . The president's greatest power is the ability to choose the prime minister. However, since it

2047-449: Is the French National Assembly that has the sole power to dismiss the prime minister's government, the president is forced to name a prime minister who can command the support of a majority in the assembly. Since 2002, the legislative elections are held a few weeks after the presidential; a majority supporting the president's party or at the very least not opposing the president's choice is therefore very likely to be obtained. They have also

2136-683: Is the heir of the various bodies that preceded it in the course of French and Parisian history and whose task was to honor and protect the high authorities of the State and the capital city – Gardes Françaises of the French kings, Consular and Imperial Guard of Napoleon , etc. Its name derives from the Municipal Guard of Paris, established on 12 Vendémiaire XI (October 4, 1802) by Napoleon Bonaparte. This unit distinguished itself in battles of historical significance, including Danzig and Friedland in 1807, Alcolea in 1808 and Burgos in 1812. In 1813,

2225-694: The Gouvernement , the Constitutional Council may rule, by a majority vote, that the presidency is to be temporarily assumed by the president of the Senate. If the Council rules that the incapacity is permanent, the same procedure as for the resignation is applied, as described above. If the president cannot attend meetings, including meetings of the Council of Ministers, they can ask the prime minister to attend in their stead (Constitution, article 21). This clause has been applied by presidents travelling abroad, ill, or undergoing surgery. During

2314-527: The French National Assembly ; her alternate as Deputy was Daniel Poulou , who served from 1993 to 1995 and again from 2002 to 2011 when she served as Cabinet Minister. She served as Secretary of State (junior minister) for Schools under the Minister of National Education in Jacques Chirac 's second government from 1986 to 1988 and as Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in Édouard Balladur 's government from 1993 to 1995. From 1989 to 1993, she

2403-587: The Indochina War by sending three "Legions of March", which were mainly assigned to the training of allied indigenous troops and to the defense of certain places. The three legions, comprising a constant workforce of nearly 3,000 men, suffered heavy losses (more than 600 dead and 1,500 wounded during the conflict), which earned it the Croix de Guerre TOE . In 1954, the Republican Guard was renamed as

2492-604: The International Criminal Court (France is a member of the ICC and the president is a French citizen as another following the Court's rules) or where impeachment is moved against them. Impeachment can be pronounced by the Republican High Court, a special court convened from both houses of Parliament on the proposal of either House, should the president have failed to discharge their duties in

2581-699: The Mobile Gendarmerie and the Republican Guard of Paris became the Republican Guard. Both organizations were then and still remain part of the same branch in the French Gendarmerie. In 1978, President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing gave the Guard it new insignias on 11 November 1979 when the infantry regiment was split into the current two sparate regiments. Michèle Alliot-Marie , Minister of Defence, said in October 2002: "The Republican Guard has

2670-673: The National Order of Merit . The officeholder is also honorary proto-canon of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, although some have rejected the title in the past. The current president is Emmanuel Macron , who succeeded François Hollande on 14 May 2017 , and was inaugurated for a second term on 7 May 2022. The presidency of France was first publicly proposed during the July Revolution of 1830, when it

2759-637: The Second French Republic , there was a vice president . The only person to ever hold the position was Henri Georges Boulay de la Meurthe . Four French presidents have died in office: The president of the Republic is paid a salary according to a pay grade defined in comparison to the pay grades of the most senior members of the French Civil Service ("out of scale", hors échelle , those whose pay grades are known as letters and not as numeric indices). In addition they are paid

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2848-614: The Second Republic , the Republican Guard of Paris was created, including an infantry regiment and a regiment of cavalry. On February 1, 1849, president Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte made the Guard a part of the National Gendarmerie . It received its insignia on July 14, 1880. The Republican Guard did not take part in World War I as a unit, but more than one third of its personnel were seconded to Army regiments for

2937-529: The Security Group for the Presidency of the Republic (GSP), a mixed police– gendarmerie unit that is not part of the Republican Guard. However, the Republican Guard does provide counter-sniper teams ( Tireurs d'élite Gendarmerie or TEG) and intervention platoons ( pelotons d'intervention ). The Republican Guard also represents France at international events at home and abroad. The Republican Guard

3026-670: The Val-de-Marne department since 1968). Her father is Bernard Marie (1918–2015), who was a famous international rugby referee, the French National Assembly Deputy for the Pyrénées-Atlantiques' 4th constituency (1967–1981, department named Basses-Pyrénées until 1969), and the Mayor of Biarritz (1977–1991); and her mother is Renée Leyko and is of Polish descent. She attended

3115-497: The next legislature was dominated by Republicans, and after President Patrice de MacMahon had unsuccessfully tried to obtain a new royalist majority by dissolving the Chambre des Députés , his successor Jules Grévy promised in 1879 that he would not use his presidential power of dissolution, and therefore lost his control over the legislature, effectively creating a parliamentary system that would be maintained for 80 years until

3204-550: The right-wing student union UNI . She also holds a Certificat d'aptitude à la profession d'avocat (English: "Certificate of Aptitude for Practicing Law"), also known as a CAPA ; a certificate in African laws and economics; and a master's degree in ethnology . Before her career in politics, she was a senior lecturer at the Paris-I University (Panthéon-Sorbonne) , and also spent some time practicing law. She

3293-481: The 2008 "out of scale" pay grades, it amounts to a monthly pay of 20,963 euros, which fits the 19,000 euros quoted to the press in early 2008. Using the pay grades starting from 1 July 2009, this amounts to a gross monthly pay of €21,131. The salary and the residence stipend are taxable for income tax . The official residence and office of the president is the Élysée Palace in Paris. Other presidential residences include: According to French law, former presidents of

3382-569: The Act. Reconsideration shall not be refused. While the President has to sign all acts adopted by parliament into law, he cannot refuse to do so and exercise a kind of right of veto; his only power in that matter is to ask for a single reconsideration of the law by parliament and this power is subject to countersigning by the Prime minister. Article 11: The president could submit laws to the people in

3471-511: The Chief of Staff to then-Secretary of State and Minister of Universities Alice Saunier-Seité from 1976 to 1978 before working in the private sector as an administrator of CEO of the company Uta-Indemnité between 1979 and 1985. She also practiced as a lawyer during this time. Alliot-Marie started her electoral career in 1983 as Municipal Councillor for the Basque -area village of Ciboure (in

3560-957: The French team for the World Equestrian Games of 2006. The Guard Cavalry Regiment is twinned with the British Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment , the Italian Carabinieri Cavalry Regiment and the Senegalese Red Guard . Exhibition drill squads present five shows and reenactments: The Republican Guard has two regiments of infantry: Each of the seven security and honor companies is composed of three regular sections (i.e., platoons) and one peloton d'intervention (intervention platoon). The regular sections perform ceremonial duties and guards. The intervention platoons provide special security in

3649-476: The Government and terminate their appointments. Article 9 : The president of the republic shall preside over the Council of Ministers. Article 10: The president of the republic shall promulgate acts of parliament within fifteen days following the final adoption of an act and its transmission to the Government. He may, before the expiry of this time limit, ask Parliament to reconsider the act or sections of

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3738-819: The High School of the Folie Saint James in Neuilly-sur-Seine and then began her studies at the Paris Law Faculty in the now-defunct University of Paris , continuing at the Faculté des lettres de Paris in that same university. After then- Education Minister Edgar Faure 's university reforms (known as Loi Faure  [ fr ] ) were implemented in 1968, she continued her studies in private law , political science , and legal history at both Panthéon-Assas University , earning

3827-786: The Municipal Guard was dissolved following the attempted coup of General Malet and replaced by the Imperial Gendarmerie of Paris and then, under the Restoration , the Royal Guard of Paris and the Royal Mounted Police of Paris. In 1830, it was recreated, but after the Revolution of 1848, it was removed in favor of the Civic Guard (which proved to be a transient institution). In June 1848, under

3916-602: The National Council of The Republicans. Alliot-Marie was the last President of the Rally for the Republic (1999–2002), an incarnation of the Gaullist party , and was the first woman to chair a major French political party. She has remained a leading Gaullist after the RPR merged into the UMP and was seen as a rival to Nicolas Sarkozy before and after his election as president in 2007 , although direct confrontation

4005-581: The Paris museums or the Opera, as well as during other ceremonies (for example at the French Academy). Although the ceremonial duties attract more public attention, more than 80% of the missions assigned to the Garde are security missions. These include missions performed for the state such as protection of state buildings but also missions performed for the benefit of the population (for example patrols in

4094-411: The Prime Minister. She was made a Vice President of the UMP the same year. In November 2010, Alliot-Marie was appointed Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, remaining Minister of State and being again the first female holder of the office. When civil unrest began in Tunisia in early 2011 , Alliot-Marie came under scrutiny for going on vacation there during the events, as she had frequently done in

4183-450: The Quartier des Célestins, and Quartier Carnot barracks the cavalry regiment is made up of approximately 480 gendarmes and civilians of whom a little more than 10% are women. It has approximately 550 horses (11% mares) and remains the last mounted regiment in the French armed forces. The regiment is composed of: This unit has a section of high level sportsmen, in particular Hubert Perring , dressage champion of France in 2005, and member of

4272-453: The Republic enjoys immunity during their term: they cannot be requested to testify before any jurisdiction, they cannot be prosecuted, etc. However, the statute of limitation is suspended during their term, and enquiries and prosecutions can be restarted, at the latest one month after they leave office. The president is not deemed personally responsible for their actions in their official capacity, except where their actions are indicted before

4361-429: The Republic have guaranteed lifetime pension defined according to the pay grade of the Councillors of State , a courtesy diplomatic passport, and, according to the French Constitution (Article 56), membership of the Constitutional Council. They also get personnel, an apartment and/or office, and other amenities, though the legal basis for these is disputed. The current system for providing personnel and other amenities to

4450-404: The accession of Charles de Gaulle as president in 1959. Indeed, when the Fourth Republic was created, after the Second World War, it was a parliamentary system, in which the office of President of the Republic was a largely ceremonial one. The Constitution of the Fifth Republic , adopted in 1958, greatly increased the president's powers. A 1962 referendum changed the constitution, so that

4539-466: The appropriate ministers. Before the 2008 constitutional reform forbidding them, there was a tradition of so-called "presidential amnesties", which are something of a misnomer: after the election of a president, and of a National Assembly of the same party, parliament would traditionally vote a law granting amnesty for some petty crimes (it was also a way of reducing jail overpopulation). This practice had been increasingly criticized, particularly because it

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4628-400: The candidate receives less than 5% of the vote, the government funds €8,000,000 to the party (€4,000,000 paid in advance). Advertising on TV is forbidden, but official time is given to candidates on public TV. An independent agency regulates election and party financing. The French Fifth Republic is a semi-presidential system . Unlike most other European heads of state, the French president

4717-446: The context of the 2004 crisis in Ivory Coast . Michèle Marie married anthropologist Michel Alliot  [ fr ] in 1971, taking the name Michèle Alliot-Marie. They divorced in 1984. In the French media, she is nicknamed "MAM". Since 1988, her life partner has been Patrick Ollier , who briefly served as President of the National Assembly in 2007 and subsequently chaired the Assembly's Economy Committee. In November 2010, he

4806-402: The continuity of the State. He shall be the guarantor of national independence, territorial integrity and observance of treaties. Article 8 : The president of the republic shall appoint the prime minister. He shall terminate the appointment of the prime minister when the latter tenders the resignation of the Government. On the proposal of the prime minister, he shall appoint the other members of

4895-425: The duration of the conflict. As a consequence, its flag and banner are decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honour. During World War II , it reported to the police headquarters and took the name of Guard of Paris. Part of its staff rallied to General de Gaulle, and the Guard was involved in fighting alongside the FFI during the liberation of Paris . From 1947 to 1954, the Republican Guard took part in

4984-402: The duty of arbitrating the functioning of governmental authorities for efficient service, as the head of state of France. Since 2002, the mandate of the president and the Assembly are both five years, and the two elections are close to each other. Therefore, the likelihood of a cohabitation is lower. Among the powers of the president: All decisions of the president must be countersigned by

5073-665: The elected president always obtains a majority: if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the first round of voting, the two highest-scoring candidates arrive at a run-off. After a new president is elected, they go through a solemn investiture ceremony called a passation des pouvoirs ("handing over of powers"). In order to be admitted as an official candidate, potential candidates must receive signed nominations (known as parrainages , for "sponsors") from more than 500 elected local officials, mostly mayors. These officials must be from at least 30 départements or overseas collectivities, and no more than 10% of them should be from

5162-402: The first and second rounds of a presidential election; this means that the president of the Senate can only act as President of the Republic for a maximum period of fifty days. During this interim period, acting presidents are not allowed to dismiss the national assembly, nor are they allowed to call for a referendum or initiate any constitutional changes. If there is no president of the Senate,

5251-406: The former French presidents was devised in 1981 by Michel Charasse , then advisor to President François Mitterrand , in order to care for former president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and the widow of former President Georges Pompidou . In 2008, according to an answer by the services of the prime minister to a question from René Dosière , a member of the National Assembly, the facilities comprised:

5340-447: The former province of Labourd and now in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department), located south of her father's political base of Biarritz , near Saint-Jean-de-Luz ; she stayed on until 1988. In 1989, she was elected to another council, this time in Biarritz, alongside her father. In 1990, as part of the municipal majority behind the first Deputy Mayor Didier Borotra of the UDF - CDS , she passed draft legislation in opposition to build

5429-443: The government buildings and palaces protected by the Guard. They are also tasked with police missions in support of the Gendarmerie in the Paris area (home arrests, escorts etc.). One of the seven intervention platoons is permanently deployed on a rotational basis to either French Guiana in support of forces combating illegal gold mining or to another French oversea territory (typically Guadeloupe or Saint Martin). Depending on needs,

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5518-421: The head of state. The length of the presidential term was reduced from seven years to five years following a 2000 referendum ; the first election for a shorter term was held in 2002 . Then-president Jacques Chirac was first elected in 1995 and again in 2002, and would have been able to run in 2007 had he chosen to, given the lack of term limits. Following a further change, the constitutional law of 2008 on

5607-408: The highest national personalities and important foreign guests, military ceremonies and guards of honour for fallen soldiers, support of other law enforcement forces with intervention teams, as well as staffing horseback patrol stations (particularly for the forests of the Île-de-France region) are also part of its duties. The close physical protection of the President of the Republic is entrusted to

5696-412: The lining of both sides of the entry stairs of the Elysée or Matignon Palaces (and other buildings) by dismounted cavalry on special occasions. These Republican Guards belong to the Cavalry Regiment and not to the infantry units whose mission is to ensure the security of these palaces and of senior government figures. Certain ceremonial duties in the form of honour guards are performed during state visits to

5785-519: The modernization of the institutions of the Fifth Republic , a president cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac were previously the only presidents to date who have served a full two terms (14 years for the former, 12 years for the latter). Incumbent Emmanuel Macron is the fourth president (after de Gaulle, Mitterrand, and Chirac) to win re-election, having done so in 2022 . French presidential elections are conducted using run-off voting , which ensures that

5874-434: The nation of these measures in a message. The measures must stem from the desire to provide the constitutional public authorities, in the shortest possible time, with the means to carry out their duties. The Constitutional Council shall be consulted with regard to such measures. Parliament shall convene as of right. The National Assembly shall not be dissolved during the exercise of the emergency powers. Article 16 , allowing

5963-437: The nation, the integrity of its territory or the fulfilment of its international commitments are under serious and immediate threat, and where the proper functioning of the constitutional public authorities is interrupted, the president of the republic shall take the measures required by these circumstances, after formally consulting the prime minister, the presidents of the assemblies and the Constitutional Council. He shall inform

6052-537: The number of assistants available for their use has been reduced, but a state flat or house remains available for former officeholders. Train tickets are also available if the trip is justified by the office of the former officeholder as part of official business. The security personnel around former presidents of France remained unchanged. Mich%C3%A8le Alliot-Marie Michèle Yvette Marie-Thérèse Jeanne Honorine Alliot-Marie ( French: [miʃɛl aljomaʁi] ; born 10 September 1946), known in France as MAM ,

6141-406: The occasion for any debate. He can also give an address in front of the Congress of France in Versailles. Outside sessions, Parliament shall be convened especially for this purpose. Article 19 : Acts of the president of the republic, other than those provided for under articles 8 (first paragraph), 11, 12, 16, 18, 54, 56 and 61, shall be countersigned by the prime minister and, where required, by

6230-563: The orchestra performs in three configurations: It was founded in 1848 by Jean-Georges Paulus . This men's choir is composed of 46 professional singers. In spite of its name (Choir of the French army), it is part of the Guard and thus reports to the Gendarmerie and through the Ministers of the Armed Forces and Interior (owing to the military character of the service). The choir performs mainly during official ceremonies and commemorations but also during festivals and sport events of national and international importance. Since 2007, it has been led by

6319-414: The parks and streets). Some guards are assigned to more specific missions: The Republican Guard belongs to the French National Gendarmerie. It is made up of approximately 2,800 men and women (drawn from an overall body of 100,000 gendarmes). As a historically Parisian organization, the guards wear the armorial bearings of the city on their uniforms. It consists of two infantry regiments (one includes

6408-435: The past. She further caused controversy when she told the National Assembly that French riot police could be offered to help restore order; she was specifically criticised for allegedly sending teargas to Tunisia as late as January 2011. Before leaving office, she proposed sending paratroopers to quell the protests. Her situation embarrassing the government, she resigned as Foreign Minister on 27 February 2011 after only

6497-433: The period prescribed for the ordinary session, a session shall be called by right for a fifteen-day period. No further dissolution shall take place within a year following this election. Article 13: The president of the republic shall sign the ordinances and decrees deliberated upon in the Council of Ministers. He shall make appointments to the civil and military posts of the State. [...] Article 14 : The president of

6586-473: The position is the highest office in France. The powers, functions and duties of prior presidential offices, in addition to their relation with the prime minister and government of France , have over time differed with the various constitutional documents since the Second Republic . The president of the French Republic is the ex officio co-prince of Andorra , grand master of the Legion of Honour and of

6675-461: The powers of the president of the republic are exercised by the Gouvernement , meaning the Cabinet. This has been interpreted by some constitutional academics as meaning first the prime minister and, if they are themselves not able to act, the members of the cabinet in the order of the list of the decree that nominated them. This is in fact unlikely to happen, because if the president of the Senate

6764-534: The president a limited form of rule by decree for a limited period of time in exceptional circumstance, has been used only once, by Charles de Gaulle during the Algerian War , from 23 April to 29 September 1961. Article 17 : The president of the republic has the right to grant pardon. Article 18 : The president of the republic shall communicate with the two assemblies of Parliament by means of messages, which he shall cause to be read and which shall not be

6853-414: The president of the Senate becomes Acting President of the Republic; they do not become the new president of the Republic as elected and therefore do not have to resign from their position as President of the Senate. The first round of a new presidential election must be organized no sooner than twenty days and no later than thirty-five days following the vacancy of the presidency. Fifteen days can separate

6942-471: The president would be directly elected by universal suffrage and not by the electoral college established in 1958. In 2000, a referendum shortened the presidential term from seven years ( Septennat ) to five years (Quinquennat). A maximum of two consecutive terms was imposed after a 2008 constitutional reform . Since the 1962 presidential referendum , the president has been directly elected by universal suffrage ; previously, an electoral college decided

7031-595: The prime minister, except dissolving the National Assembly, choice of prime minister, and other dispositions referred to in Article 19. The constitutional attributions of the president are defined in Title II of the Constitution of France . Article 5 : The president of the republic shall see that the Constitution is observed. He shall ensure, by his arbitration, the proper functioning of the public authorities and

7120-406: The republic shall accredit ambassadors and envoys extraordinary to foreign powers; foreign ambassadors and envoys extraordinary shall be accredited to him. Article 15 : The president of the republic shall be commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He shall preside over the higher national defence councils and committees. Article 16 : Where the institutions of the republic, the independence of

7209-479: The republic, proclaiming himself Napoleon III, Emperor of the French . Under the Third Republic the president was at first quite powerful, mainly because the royalist party was strong when the constitutional laws of 1875 were established, and it was hoped that a member of one of the two branches of the royal family would be able to serve as president and turn France into a constitutional monarchy. However,

7298-408: The same département or collectivity. Furthermore, each official may nominate only one candidate. There are exactly 45,543 elected officials, including 33,872 mayors. Spending and financing of campaigns and political parties are highly regulated. There is a cap on spending (at approximately €20 million) and government public financing of 50% of spending if the candidate scores more than 5%. If

7387-458: Was a Member of the European Parliament as a member of the political group European Democratic Alliance . In 1999, "MAM" entered the challenge for the presidency of the RPR against Chirac's candidate and, to most insiders' surprise, won by a landslide, becoming the first woman to lead a major French political party. She remained President of the party until 2002 when it merged with the Union for

7476-658: Was also a member and a Vice President of the General Council of Pyrénées-Atlantiques between 1994 and 2001. Alliot-Marie was elected to the National Assembly to represent Pyrénées-Atlantiques in 1986 as a member of the Gaullist Rally for the Republic (RPR). She has been seating in the Assembly ever since, except when she sat in the government; this is due to the French law on Cumul des mandats (literally: "accumulation of mandates") that prohibit cabinet ministers from simultaneously serving as deputies in

7565-619: Was always avoided. Alliot-Marie is a law and political science scholar. Her companion is Patrick Ollier , Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament in the Fillon II government; both were ministers simultaneously for a few months in 2010–2011, the first time a couple ever sat in a French government. Michèle Marie was born on 10 September 1946 in Villeneuve-le-Roi (then in the Seine-et-Oise department , now in

7654-581: Was appointed Minister of the Interior, the Overseas and Local Communities in François Fillon 's government, being the first woman to hold the position. Two years later, after the 2009 European Parliament election , she was appointed Minister of Justice and Liberties and Keeper of the Seals and was bestowed the title of Minister of State, which gave her the most senior rank in the government after

7743-408: Was believed to inspire people to commit traffic offences in the months preceding the election. Such an amnesty law would also authorize the president to designate individuals who have committed certain categories of crimes to be offered amnesty, if certain conditions are met. Such individual measures have been criticized for the political patronage that they allow. The difference between an amnesty and

7832-524: Was granted the honorary rank of Minister of State in her last two offices. She resigned from government in 2011 due to her position during the Tunisian Revolution ; one year later, in the 2012 French legislative elections , she lost her seat as Deputy (MP) for the 6th Constituency of Pyrénées-Atlantiques . She became a member of the European Parliament in 2014. She remains Deputy Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-Luz as well as Vice President of

7921-465: Was offered to the Marquis de Lafayette . He demurred in favour of Prince Louis Phillipe , who became King of the French. Eighteen years later, during the opening phases of the Second Republic , the title was created for a popularly elected head of state, the first of whom was Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte , nephew of Emperor Napoleon . Bonaparte served as president until he staged an auto coup against

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