the president
election results: Jacques CHIRAC elected president; percent of vote,
second ballot-Jacques CHIRAC 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN 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 under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year
terms)
elections: Senate-last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held
September 1998); 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 94, UDF 127, PS 75, PCF 15, other 10; National
Assembly-percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party-PS 245, RPR
140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, Ecologists 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 members 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: Rally for the Republic or RPR [Philippe
SEGUIN]; Union for French Democracy or UDF (coalition of PR, FD, RAD,
PPDF) [Francois LEOTARD]; Democratie Liberale or DL [Alain MADELIN];
Democratic Force or FD [Francois BAYROU]; Socialist Party or PS
[Francois HOLLANDE]; Communist Party or PCF [Robert HUE]; National
Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; The Greens [Jean-Luc BENNAHMIAS];
Generation Ecology or GE [Brice LALONDE]; Citizens Movement or MDC
[Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; National Center of Independents and
Peasants or CNIP [Oliver d'ORMESSON]; Radical Socialist Party or PRS
(previously the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET];
Movement for France or LDI-MPF [Philippe DEVILLIERS]; Mouvement des
Reformateurs [Jean-Pierre SOISSON]; Mouvement Ecologiste Independant
[Jenevieve ANDUEZA]; Parti Populaire Pour la Democratie Francaise or
PPDF [Herve de CHARETTE]; Parti Radical [Thierry CORNILLET]; Adherents
Directs [Pierre-Andre WILTZER]

Politi