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president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC
Maastricht Treaty in 1992; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993

Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of
administrative but not legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since
17 May 1995)

head of government: Prime Minister Lionel JOSPIN (since 3 June 1997)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
suggestion of the prime minister

elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 23 April and 7 May 1995 (next to be held by May
2002); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority
and appointed by the president

election results: Jacques CHIRAC elected president; percent of
vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN
(PS) 47.36%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of
the Senate or Senat (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for
overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals
abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to
serve nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years) and the
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are
elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to
serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held
September 2001); National Assembly - last held 25 May-1 June 1997
(next to be held NA May 2002)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - RPR 99, UDC 52, DL 47, PS 78, PCF 16, other 29; National
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PS 245,
RPR 140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, MEI 8, MDC 7, LDI-MPF 1, FN 1,
various left 9, various right 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation
(judges are appointed by the president from nominations of the High
Council of the Judiciary); Constitutional Council or Conseil
Constitutionnel (three members appointed by the president, three
appointed by the president of the National Assembly, and three
appointed by the president of the Senate); Council of State or
Conseil d'Etat

Political parties and leaders: Citizens Movement or MdC [Jean Pierre
CHEVENEMENT]; French Communist Party or PCF [Robert HUE];
Independent Ecological Movement or MEI [Antoine WAECHTER]; L