A big election year
The eyes of the world will be on France this spring to find out who the president will be and what turn French politics is likely to take.
Will it be right-winger François Fillon of Les Républicains or perhaps Emmanuel Macron of new movement En Marche! (translated as ‘On the Move!’)? Or will the ‘populist’ wave initiated by the Brexit vote and election of Trump carry the FN’s Le Pen to the top – and usher in a ‘Frexit’ referendum?
Former economy minister Benoît Hamon is straggling as the Socialist candidate, however Fillon too has seen his poll placings hit by scandal involving payments to his Welsh wife, Penelope for an alleged ‘fake job’. On writing, a survey showed only a quarter find his explanations ‘convincing’.
While the presidentials, on April 27 and May 7, have been centre stage, this year sees two other important elections.
The Assemblée Nationale ones for the MPs, in which all French people may vote as for the presidential ones, will be especially significant: whoever the president is, it is harder for him or her to enforce their policies if they do not have a majority among the MPs.
In such times – known as ‘cohabitation’ – the power of the Prime Minister is increased, whereas when there is uniformity, he or she tends to take a back seat to the president.
This time that may well be the case if Macron or Le Pen were elected, in particular.
Macron was formerly a Socialist Party member, but broke away last year to form En Marche!. It has no MPs of its own in parliament though he is selecting candidates to put forward in all constituencies.
Meanwhile, the FN has just two MPs despite coming top in 2014’s European elections.
While Fillon may be safer in this respect, he may fail to convince more centrist Les Républicains MPs.
The Senate – the French upper house – has elections every three years for half of its seats, so senators sit for six years.
Senators are elected in each department by grands électeurs comprised of MPs and senators, regional, departmental and municipal councillors.
Traditionally the Senate has tended to be dominated by the right, apart from in 2011-2014.
Based at the Palais du Luxembourg, next to the gardens of the same name, the Senate debates and votes on laws and is also the national representative of the local authorities.
As in the UK, passing a law involves a bill (projet de loi) passing between the two houses – usually (though not always) after starting its journey in the Assemblée Nationale.
Like the UK’s House of Lords, the Senate’s powers to block laws are limited, however no law may be passed without either the agreement of the Senate or, as a last resort, of the Prime Minister, who can intervene if there is deadlock between the two houses.
