Follow the latest news from the National Assembly live on “20 Minutes” through our articles and live commentary. The National Assembly is a French institution located at the Palais Bourbon in Paris. Its role is to debate, propose, amend, and vote on laws. It also has the mission of overseeing the government’s actions. Unlike the Senate (with which it forms the Parliament of the Fifth Republic), it has the power to force the government to resign by voting on a motion of censure.
Since 1986, the National Assembly has 577 members, called “deputies,” elected by direct universal suffrage with a two-round majority voting system for a five-year term.
Following the 2022 French elections, the composition of the Assembly is as follows: – Ensemble! (245 seats): LREM (170), MODEM (46), Horizon (29) – NUPES (131 seats): LFI (72), PS (24), PE (23), PCF (12) – RN (89 seats) – LR (61 seats) – UDI (3 seats) – Left-wing (22 seats) – REG (10 seats) – Right-wing (10 seats) – Others (6 seats)
The President of the National Assembly, the fourth in line in the state hierarchy, plays a crucial role in French politics. As of June 28, 2022, Yaël Braun-Pivet was elected as the president, becoming the first female president of the National Assembly.
The President of the Republic, after consulting the Prime Minister and the Presidents of the assemblies, can dissolve the National Assembly. However, there are three limitations specified in the constitution: – The President cannot dissolve the Assembly during the exercise of exceptional powers under Article 16 of the constitution. – Dissolution is also prohibited when the Senate President is acting as interim President of the Republic. – The President cannot dissolve the Assembly again within a year following a dissolution.
Dissolution can only affect the National Assembly, not the Senate (only the former can overthrow the government, so only it can be dissolved).
