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53-582: The state auditor is elected by the people on Election Day in November to four-year terms, and takes office on the third Wednesday of the January following a general election. There is no limit to the number of terms a state auditor may hold. Institutionally speaking, the state auditor is thus completely independent of both the governor and General Court for the purpose of performing their official duties. These constitutional protections notwithstanding,

106-469: A two-round system ; thus, 289 seats are required for a majority. The president of the National Assembly , currently Yaël Braun-Pivet , presides over the body. The officeholder is usually a member of the largest party represented, assisted by vice presidents from across the represented political spectrum. The National Assembly's term is five years; however, the president of France may dissolve

159-670: A deputy cannot receive a wage of more than €9,779.11. Deputies' expenses can be scrutinised by a commission; sanctions can be pronounced if expenses were undue. The position of deputy of the National Assembly is incompatible with that of any other elected legislative position (Senator or since 2000, Member of European Parliament ) or with some administrative functions (members of the Constitutional Council and senior officials such as prefects, magistrates, or officers who are ineligible for department where they are stationed). Deputies may not have more than one local mandate (in

212-583: A law can originate from the Government ( projet de loi ) or a member of Parliament ( proposition de loi ). Certain laws must come from the Government, including financial regulations. The law proposals may pass through the National Assembly and Senate in an indifferent order, except for financial laws which must go through the Assembly first, or territorial organisational laws or laws for French citizens living in foreign countries, which must first pass through

265-485: A member of the military corps on duty, as well as with the exercise of one of the following mandates: regional council executive, Corsican Assembly executive, departmental council executive or municipal council executive in a municipality of a least or more than 3,500 inhabitants. Prefects are also unable to be elected in France in every district they are exercising power or exercised power for less than three years before

318-434: A municipal, intercommunal, general, or regional council) in addition to their incumbent mandate. Since the 2017 legislative election, deputies cannot hold an executive position in any local government (municipality, department, region). However, they can hold a part-time councillor mandate. In July 2017, 58% of deputies held such a seat. Since 1958, the mandate is also incompatible with a ministerial function. Upon appointment to

371-425: A new majority which returned the National Assembly to the aforementioned two-round system. Of the 577 elected deputies, 539 represent metropolitan France , 27 represent the overseas departments and overseas collectivities ; 11 represent French residents overseas . The agenda of the National Assembly is mostly decided by the Government, although the Assembly can also enforce its own agenda. Indeed, article 48 of

424-526: A result of population movements, births and deaths inequalities between the less populous rural districts and the urban districts arose. The deputy for the most populous (within Val-d'Oise ), represented 188,000 voters, while that for the other extreme (for Lozère at-large), represented 34,000. That for Saint Pierre and Miquelon serves fewer than 6,000. Most were redrawn in 2009 (boundaries officially adopted in 2010, effective in 2012 ), but this redistribution

477-413: A seat at the National Assembly is set at 18 years old. The candidate must also have fulfilled his National Civic Day, a special day created to replace the military service. Finally, a candidate under guardianship and curatorship cannot be elected to the assembly. Furthermore, a person cannot be elected if they were declared ineligible following fraudulent funding of a previous electoral campaign. Indeed,

530-548: A strong presidential system as well based on changes in 1987 to its constitution. The first major European country to use direct elections was France (1848). However, if no candidate received a majority of the vote the National Assembly chose the winner from the top five candidates. As the so-called Second Republic only lasted for one presidential term, this never happened. Germany (the Weimar Republic )

583-527: Is seldom exercised. In 1997, President Jacques Chirac dissolved the National Assembly due to the lack of popularity of Prime Minister Alain Juppé . However, the plan backfired, as the newly elected majority was opposed to Chirac. The National Assembly can dismiss the executive government (that is, the prime minister and other ministers) by a motion of no confidence ( motion de censure ). For this reason, prime ministers and their government are necessarily from

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636-412: The 2000 referendum ) and are elected in the same year. While motions de censure are periodically proposed by the opposition following government actions that it deems highly inappropriate, they are purely rhetorical; party discipline ensures that, throughout a parliamentary term, the Government is never dismissed by the Assembly, at least when the governing party/coalition holds a working majority in

689-609: The Fifth Republic greatly increased the power of the executive at the expense of Parliament, compared to previous constitutions ( Third and Fourth Republics), following the May 1958 crisis . The president of the Republic can decide to dissolve the National Assembly and call for new legislative elections. This is meant as a way to resolve stalemates where the Assembly cannot decide on a clear political direction. This possibility

742-535: The upper house being the Senate ( Sénat ). The National Assembly's legislators are known as députés ( [depyte] ), meaning "delegate" or "envoy" in English; etymologically , it is a cognate of the English word deputy , the standard term for legislators in many parliamentary systems. There are 577 députés , each elected by a single-member constituency (at least one per department ) through

795-707: The 1980s and 1990s led to direct elections of presidents in many South American countries. These changes created centralized power in presidential positions, often blurring the line of separation of powers and making them powerful decision-makers over the legislature and cabinet. A common political debate, particularly as countries consider governmental reforms, is whether or not direct elections of heads of state strengthen democratic practices among citizens. Selection mechanisms for heads of state can lead to varying outcomes in terms of voter interest, turnout, and overall engagement. For example, some scholars argue that direct elections will mobilize voters and increase their trust in

848-469: The Assembly to pronounce itself in one vote only with the amendments proposed or accepted by the Government itself. Projects of propositions of laws will be examined succinctly by the two chambers of Parliament (National Assembly and Senate) until the text is identical. After two lectures by the two chambers (or just one if the Government chooses to engage an acceleration of the text adoption, which can happen only in certain conditions) and without any accord,

901-515: The Chamber (which was no longer the case following the 2022 election ). Since the beginning of the Fifth Republic , there has only been one single successful motion de censure , in 1962 in hostility to the referendum on the method of election of the President of the Republic; President Charles de Gaulle dissolved the Assembly within a few days. The Government (the prime minister and

954-671: The Commonwealth, including programs and contractors of the foregoing entities, at least once in every three fiscal years. By virtue of this same mandate, the state auditor may also audit any city, town, or school district upon request of the governing body thereof or pursuant to a petition of the residents from the locality concerned. Aside from performance audits, the Office of the State Auditor also provides other assurance services to citizens and taxpayers alike. For instance,

1007-483: The Constitution guarantees at least a monthly session decided by the Assembly. A law proposal is a document divided into three distinct parts: a title, an exposé des motifs and a dispositif . The exposé des motifs describes the arguments in favour of a modification of a given law or new measurements that are proposed. The dispositif is the normative part, which is developed within articles. A proposal for

1060-707: The French legislature at the time was called the Chamber of Deputies . Under the Second French Empire , the term National Assembly was not in use for any French government organ. The lower house of the French legislature at the time was called the Corps législatif . Initially, the National Assembly of the French Third Republic was a unicameral constituent assembly . Following the enactment of

1113-415: The Government, the elected deputy has one month to choose between the mandate and the office. If they choose the second option, then they are replaced by their substitute . Since a change validated by the National Assembly in 2008, deputies can return to their seat in the assembly one month after the end of their cabinet position. Previously, a special election had to be held. To be eligible to be elected to

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1166-415: The National Assembly, one must be at least 18 years old, of French citizenship, as well as not subject to a sentence of deprivation of civil rights or to personal bankruptcy . Eligibility conditions 1. Eligibility due to personal requirements The essential conditions to run for elections are the following. First, a candidate must have French citizenship. Secondly, the minimum age required to run for

1219-509: The Prime Minister or the two presidents of the chambers, conjointly with first, can convoke a special commission composed by an equal number of members of Assembly and Senators to reach a compromise and propose a new text. The new proposition has to be approved by the Government before being re-proposed to the two chambers. No new amendments can be added except on the Government's approval. If the new proposal of law fails to be approved by

1272-531: The Senate. For an ordinary proposition of law, texts must be first reviewed by a permanent parliamentary commission, or a special commission designated for this purpose. During the discussion in the commission, or in plenary sessions in the assembly, the Government and Parliament can add, modify or delete articles of the proposal. The text is thus amended. Amendments proposed by a parliamentarian cannot mobilise further public funding. The Government has to right to ask

1325-476: The address read by the presidents of both chambers of Parliament, with no subsequent debate. Following a tradition started by the first National Assembly during the French Revolution , the left-wing parties sit to the left as seen from the president's seat and the right-wing parties to the right; the seating arrangement thus directly indicates the left–right political spectrum as represented in

1378-427: The assembly, thereby calling for early elections, unless it has been dissolved in the preceding twelve months. This measure has become rarer since the 2000 French constitutional referendum reduced the presidential term from seven to five years; in the four elections between 2002 and 2017 , the president of the Republic has always had a coattail effect delivering a majority in the assembly election two months after

1431-748: The assembly. The official seat of the National Assembly is the Palais Bourbon on the Rive Gauche of the Seine in the 7th arrondissement of Paris . The Assembly also uses other neighbouring buildings, including the Immeuble Chaban-Delmas on the Rue de l'Université, Paris . Like most institutions of importance in Paris, it is guarded by Republican Guards . The Constitution of France in

1484-457: The candidate's place if during tenure incapacitated or barred – if the deputy becomes a government member, most notably. The organic law of 10 July 1985 established a system of party-list proportional representation within the framework of the département . It was necessary within this framework to obtain at least 5% of the vote to elect an official. However, the legislative election of 1986 , carried out under this system, gave France

1537-498: The date of the election. Since 31 March 2017, being elected deputy is incompatible with most executive local mandates such as mayors, president of a regional council or member of the departmental council. In 1795, 1797 & 1798, only part of the legislature was elected. Under the Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy , the term National Assembly was not in use for any French government organ. The lower house of

1590-406: The dominant party or coalition in the assembly. In the case of a president of the Republic and National Assembly from opposing parties, this leads to the situation known as cohabitation ; this situation, which has occurred three times (twice under François Mitterrand , once under Jacques Chirac ), is likely to be rarer now that terms of the president and Assembly are the same length (5 years since

1643-417: The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This differs from parliamentary systems where executives derive power from the legislative body. Many African nations have moved from parliamentary to presidential systems. Regardless of constitutional structures, presidents often have immense power over other political decision-making bodies. Given this power, much of the political violence around elections stems from

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1696-431: The election of a legislature or executive. By contrast, in an indirect election , the voters elect a body which in turn elects the officeholder in question. In a double direct election , the elected representative serves on two councils, typically a lower-tier municipality and an upper-tier regional district or municipality. The idea that heads of state be elected directly by the people progressed slowly throughout

1749-548: The elections of presidents. Additionally, recent coups and conflict have postponed direct presidential elections in several African countries. The overwhelming majority of democracies in Asia are parliamentary, rather than presidential systems. Based on constitutional design, the Philippines is the only head of state elected by popular vote. Although classified as a semi-presidential system, South Korea in political reality has

1802-659: The eligible citizens of the Commonwealth a successor to serve the balance of the prior auditor's term in office. If, however, the vacancy occurs while the General Court is not in session, then responsibility for appointing a successor falls to the governor . The appointment is not valid without the advice and consent of the Governor's Council . The state auditor conducts independent and objective performance audits of each department, office, commission, agency, authority, institution, court, county, and any other activity of

1855-408: The first round, those who account for in excess of 12.5% ( 1 ⁄ 8 ) of the registered voters are entered in the second round of voting. If no three or more meet such conditions, the two highest-placing candidates automatically advance to the second round of voting – at which, the candidate who receives the most votes is elected. Each candidate is enrolled along with a substitute , who takes

1908-491: The head of state is unelected. The conceptual origins of direct presidential elections stem from the U.S. Constitution (1787) through the Electoral College . The Framers intended for a small group of electors, through methods determined by each state, to elect the president. Thus in practice this represents a form of indirect election. Bolstered by opposition groups, institutional and constitutional change in

1961-569: The largest group) or "opposition" group (having officially declared it did not support the Government). Legislators of the assembly can ask written or oral questions to ministers. The Wednesday afternoon 3 p.m. session of "questions to the government" is broadcast live on television. Like Prime Minister's Questions in the United Kingdom, it is largely a show for the viewers, with members of the majority asking flattering questions, while

2014-400: The minister in charge of relations with Parliament) used to set the priorities of the agenda for the Assembly's sessions, except for a single day each month. In practice, given the number of priority items, it meant that the schedule of the assembly was almost entirely set by the executive; bills generally only have a chance to be examined if proposed or supported by the executive. This, however,

2067-399: The office, as well as a total of €8,949 per month to pay up to five employees. They also have an office in the assembly, various perquisites in terms of transport and communications, social security , a pension fund and unemployment insurance . Under article 26 of the Constitution, deputies, like Senators, are protected by parliamentary immunity. In the case of an accumulation of mandates,

2120-474: The opposition tries to embarrass the government. Since 1988, the 577 deputies are elected by direct universal suffrage with a two-round system by constituency , for a five-year mandate, subject to dissolution. The constituencies each have about 100,000 inhabitants. The electoral law of 1986 specifies their variance of population within a department should not exceed 20%, when conducting any redistribution. However, none were redrawn between 1982 and 2009. As

2173-416: The political process, particularly in emerging democracies. Others note that frequent direct elections may decrease turnout due to voter fatigue and apathy. National Assembly (France) Opposition (364) Vacant (2) The National Assembly ( French : Assemblée nationale , [asɑ̃ble nɑsjɔnal] ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic ,

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2226-513: The president is elected directly by the people, and semi-presidential republics - including contemporary France - which have a president elected directly and a prime minister responsible to the parliament. A major debate exists regarding colonial legacies and the promotion of democracy around the world. In terms of direct elections, former British colonies are less likely to hold direct elections for heads of state. Additionally no monarchies have direct elections for head of state since by definition

2279-655: The presidential election, and it was accordingly of little benefit to dissolve it. In 2024 , it was dissolved following the announcement of the results of the European Parliament election . Due to the separation of powers , the president of the Republic may not take part in parliamentary debates. They can address the Congress of the French Parliament , which meets at the Palace of Versailles , or have

2332-442: The state auditor investigates alleged or suspected instances of waste, fraud, and abuse in social safety net programs . Moreover, the state auditor ascertains whether state laws impose burdensome mandates on local governments. This Massachusetts government –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Direct election Direct election is a system of choosing political officeholders in which

2385-515: The state auditor may still be impeached for misconduct or maladministration by the House of Representatives and, if found guilty, removed from office by the Senate . Any person seeking election to the office of state auditor must meet the following requirements: In the event of a vacancy in the office of state auditor, the General Court is charged, if in session, with electing from among

2438-399: The two chambers' proposal, can submit every law proposal as a referendum if it concerns the organisation of public powers, reforms on the economy, social and environmental measures, or every proposition that would have an impact on the functioning of the institutions. A referendum on the previous conditions can also be initiated by a fifth of the membership of Parliament, supported by a tenth of

2491-402: The two chambers, the Government can, after a new lecture by the National Assembly and the Senate, ask the National Assembly to rule a final judgement. In that case, the National Assembly can either take back the text elaborated by the special commission or the last one that they voted for – possibly modified by several amendments by the Senate. The president of the Republic, on the Government or

2544-500: The voter could be considered as highly influenced and their decision making could be impacted. The sincerity of the results could thus not be regarded as viable and legitimate. 2. Eligibility due to positions that a person may occupy The deputy mandate cannot be cumulated with a mandate of Senator, MEP, member of the Government or of the Constitutional Council. The deputy mandate is also incompatible with being

2597-401: The voters directly cast ballots for the persons or political party that they wanted to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the electoral system used. The most commonly used systems are the plurality system and the two-round system for single-winner elections, such as a presidential election, and proportional representation for

2650-512: The voters inscribed on the electoral lists. Finally, the laws are promulgated by the president of the Republic's signature. The officeholder may call for a new legislative deliberation of the law or one of its articles in front of the National Assembly, which cannot be denied. Assembly legislators receive a salary of €7,043.69 per month. There is also the "compensation representing official expenses" ( indemnité représentative de frais de mandat , IRFM) of €5,867.39 per month to pay costs related to

2703-405: Was amended on 23 July 2008. Under the amended Constitution, the Government sets the priorities for two weeks in a month. Another week is designated for the Assembly's "control" prerogatives (consisting mainly of oral questions addressed to the Government). The fourth one is also set by the Assembly. Furthermore, one day per month is set by a "minority" (group supporting the Government but which is not

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2756-408: Was controversial, such as the creation of eleven constituencies for French residents overseas without increasing the number of seats. The electoral map is drawn by an independent commission. To be elected in the first round of voting, a candidate must obtain at least 50% of the votes cast, with a turnout of at least 25% of the registered voters on the electoral rolls. If no candidate is elected in

2809-477: Was the first European country to use direct election of a president without intervention by the legislature. Both these systems were replaced by authoritarian systems within a number of years, with indirect presidential elections instated with the restoration of democracy (in 1871 and 1949, in West Germany , respectively). Currently, Europe has a mix of parliamentary republics , presidential republics , where

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