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68-524: After World War II, on 4 September 1947, the colony was revived as a part of the French Union , with its previous boundaries. On 11 December 1958, it was reconstituted as the self-governing Republic of Upper Volta within the French Community , and two years later on 5 August 1960, it attained full independence. On 4 August 1984, the name was changed to Burkina Faso. The name Upper Volta indicates that

136-516: A coattail effect delivering a majority in the assembly election two months after 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

204-673: A President, a High Council, and an Assembly. The President was the President of the Republic. The Assembly of the Union had membership from the Council of the Republic , from the National Assembly and from regional assemblies of the overseas territories and departments but ultimately had no power. The High Council ultimately met only three times, first in 1951. The Assembly was the only actually functioning institution that could manage legislation within

272-648: A department should not exceed 20%, when conducting any redistribution. However, none were redrawn between 1982 and 2009. As 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

340-720: 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

408-572: 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

476-481: 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

544-434: 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

612-425: 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

680-526: A president and a national assembly for five year terms; however, soon after coming to power, Yaméogo banned all political parties other than the UDV. French Union The French Union ( French : Union française ) was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial empire system, colloquially known as the " French Empire " ( Empire français ). It

748-461: A realisation among them of the contradiction between the colonial narrative of equality and reality, thus heightening resistance to its supposedly egalitarian institutions. A concrete example of this resistance occurred on Bastille Day 1952, when a group of West African students returning home by ship were excluded from celebrations due to them travelling in third class. The students argued that they were discriminated against because of their race, yet

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816-413: 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,

884-656: A separate colony called the Upper Volta in the French West Africa federation. In 1932, the new colony was dismembered in a move to economise; it was reconstituted in 1937 as an administrative division called the Upper Coast. After World War II, the Mossi renewed their pressure for separate territorial status and on 4 September 1947, Upper Volta became a French West African territory again in its own right. The indigenous population

952-481: A single French Union, or just one France. The goal of this union was "assimilation of the overseas territories into a greater France, inhabited by French citizens, and blessed by French culture". Whereas the British colonial system had local colonial governments which would eventually evolve into separate national governments, France wanted to create a single government under a single French state. This French Union had

1020-409: A single-member constituency (at least one per department ) through 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

1088-461: A way to resolve stalemates where the Assembly cannot decide on a clear political direction. This possibility 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,

1156-404: Is five years; however, the president of France may dissolve 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

1224-502: Is guarded by Republican Guards . The Constitution of France in 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

1292-406: Is likely to be rarer now that terms of the president and Assembly are the same length (5 years since 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

1360-506: Is more advantageous for their peoples” that goes beyond backward nationalism. Senghor echoes this view, arguing that “it would be pointless to cultivate particularism in Africa”, and that instead there should be a goal to remove borders entirely, forming a large economic/political bloc. Here we can see a view that greater integration into economic and political blocs, such as the French Union and

1428-485: Is never dismissed by the Assembly, at least when the governing party/coalition holds a working majority in 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

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1496-543: Is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic , 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

1564-616: The Congress of the French Parliament , which meets at the Palace of Versailles , or have 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;

1632-539: The EEC , was viewed by both French officials and some African leaders as progressive, forward thinking, and within their interests to do so. The Youth Council of the French Union ( French : Conseil de la jeunesse de l'Union française , abbreviated CJUF ) was a coordinating body of youth organizations in the French Union. CJUF was founded in 1950. The organization had its headquarters in Paris and held annual congresses. In 1958,

1700-466: The French Fourth Republic was replaced by a new Fifth Republic , characterised by a stronger presidential system, led by President Charles De Gaulle . A constitutional referendum was held on 28 September 1958 to replace the French Union, as part of a wider referendum across the French Union (including the Metropole) on whether to adopt the new French Constitution; if accepted, colonies would become part of

1768-469: 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,

1836-446: The Assembly within a few days. The Government (the prime minister and 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

1904-477: 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

1972-461: The French Union came from French Togoland , now Togo , where in June 1955 the locally elected Territorial Assembly voted unanimously on a motion to remain within France's sphere of influence. On the other hand, there did exist popular resistance to the French Union. According to Louisa Rice, the increase in the number of African students being educated in France following the Union's formation resulted in

2040-563: The French Union was viewed by the French government as a useful tool to both consolidate European economic integration and fight the Cold War . The model of the EEC was also used by African leaders to justify their countries’ continued membership of the French Union. For instance, Houphouet-Boigny wrote in 1957 that by “relinquish[ing] a part of their sovereignty”, European countries would bring about “a more fully elaborated form of civilization which

2108-580: The French colonies brought about by the formation of the French Union did receive some support from African leaders at the time. For instance, Félix Houphouet-Boigny , at the time a member of the French National Assembly , was very supportive of France's investment in Côte d'Ivoire through the Central Fund for France Overseas, which disbursed over 600Bn Francs to French colonies. He was also supportive of

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2176-627: 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

2244-482: The French parliament early in 1957 that ensured a large degree of self-government for individual territories. Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French community on 11 December 1958. Upper Volta achieved independence on 5 August 1960. The first president, Maurice Yaméogo , was the leader of the Voltaic Democratic Union (UDV). The 1960 constitution provided for election by universal suffrage of

2312-511: The Government but which is not 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

2380-415: 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

2448-415: 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

2516-502: 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

2584-527: 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

2652-457: 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

2720-577: The constitution, with a turnout of 85.5%. In response to the result in Guinea, French officials destroyed furniture, lightbulbs and windows. Any crockery, medical equipment or documents that could not be carried were also destroyed and over 3,000 French civil servants and army health officials left the country. This only reinforced anti colonial sentiment inside of Guinea, and Ahmed Sékou Touré would continue to urge other African nations to declare independence. The former west and central African colonies after

2788-513: The country contains the upper part of the Volta River . The river is divided into three parts, called the Black Volta , White Volta and Red Volta . Until the end of the 19th century, the history of Upper Volta was dominated by the empire-building Mossi / Mossi Kingdoms , who are believed to have come up to their present location from present-day northern Ghana . For centuries, the Mossi peasant

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2856-489: 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

2924-403: The executive. This, however, 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

2992-427: The existing system of the French union at all, mostly positioned on the right. De Gaulle successfully argued that his position on creating a French Community as opposed to the continuance of the French Union, as a sensible and moderate compromise. However, the new French Community did not last long, with most African states leaving the organisation by 1962, preferring complete independence.  The French Constitution

3060-408: 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

3128-447: The genesis of the EEC , the integration of Africa into the economic bloc was an important strategic goal for its architects and supporters. One of these supporters, French Foreign Minister Christian Pineau , said in 1957 that the continued development of Africa by Europe would turn the continent into “an essential factor in world politics”, and the alleviation of poverty would help to ward off communist influence . Here we can see that

3196-486: The greater democratic freedoms that were granted to Africans within the Union, such as new elected territorial assemblies. Leopold Senghor was similarly supportive of the French Union, and after visiting Côte d'Ivoire in 1952, believed that cooperation between France and its colony was mutually beneficial and that such French assistance should be “extended…to all the territories of the Federation”. Yet more support for

3264-675: The majority of the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO, or Socialist Party). Notable opposing forces were the French Communist Party as well as a smaller section of socialists that included the future President of France, François Mitterrand . Opposition to the changes were split between those who wanted complete independence for the African former colonies, mainly those on the French left and then those who opposed any change to

3332-468: The new French Community ; if rejected, the territory would be granted independence. All major political parties in each respective country, except two in Guinea and Niger , supported a yes vote in the 1958 constitutional referendum, seeking a looser form of autonomy rather than the system of close relations dominated by French influence. The referendum proposal was overwhelmingly approved by upward of 90% of

3400-399: 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,

3468-468: The overseas territories. In reality, the colonial areas had representation but all power remained in the French Parliament and thus was centralized. The colonies had local assemblies but these had only limited local power. Instead, various natives of the overseas territories in metropolitan France grew into a group of elites, known as evolués . On 31 January 1956, in response to the Algerian War ,

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3536-483: The passage of the referendum formed a short-lived organisation in 1959 called the Union of Central African Republics , replacing the bloc of French Equatorial Africa that existed as a subsection of the French Union and became part of the new French Community. Within metropolitan France, most political parties supported the proposed changes to the constitution, most significantly those of ascendant Charles De Gaulle as well as

3604-511: The population in most but not all of the territories. Even in Niger, where the main organised political force opposed the replacing of the French Union with the French Community, the new constitution was supported by a clear majority. However, in Guinea, where the leading political activists preferred immediate and complete independence, the results showed that more than 95% of voters voted against

3672-476: 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 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 ),

3740-747: The seating arrangement thus directly indicates the left–right political spectrum as represented in 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

3808-413: The ship's captain viewed these allegations with surprise, thinking that their exclusion was merely due to the ship's “interior order which had nothing to do with racist theories”. This example is a microcosm of differing contemporary opinions of the French Union. On the one hand there is a view that all citizens of the Union, be they French or African, are equal and are treated as such. On the other, that it

3876-460: The system changed, abandoning assimilation in favour of autonomy, allowing territories to develop their own local government and eventually gain their independence. This adjustment would not succeed, however, and in 1958 the French Union was replaced by the French Community by Charles de Gaulle 's Fifth Republic wherein France was now a federation of states with their own self-government. The limited democratic reforms and increased investment in

3944-399: 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

4012-402: 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

4080-425: The viewers, with members of the majority asking flattering questions, while 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

4148-490: 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

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4216-512: 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

4284-456: Was de jure the end of the "indigenous" ( indigène ) status of French subjects in colonial areas. The French Union had five components: The French Union was established by the French constitution of 27 October 1946 (Fourth Republic). Under it, it was said that there were no French colonies, but that metropolitan France, the overseas departments, and the overseas territories combined to create

4352-404: Was both farmer and soldier, and the Mossi people were able to defend their religious beliefs and social structure against forcible attempts to convert them to Islam by Muslims from the northwest. When the French arrived and claimed the area in 1896, Mossi resistance ended with the capture of their capital at Ouagadougou . In 1919, certain provinces from Upper Senegal and Niger were united into

4420-494: Was changed to remove any mention of the French Community in the 1990s. The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie is based on promotion of the French language, and includes states and parts of states which were not part of the French Union in 1946 or 1958, or in some cases never French colonies or protectorates. National Assembly (France) Opposition (364) Vacant (2) The National Assembly ( French : Assemblée nationale , [asɑ̃ble nɑsjɔnal] )

4488-408: 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

4556-480: Was highly discriminated against. For example, African children were not allowed to ride bicycles or pick fruit from trees, "privileges" reserved for the children of colonists. Violating these regulations could land parents in jail. A revision in the organisation of French overseas territories began with the passage of the Basic Law (Loi Cadre) of 23 July 1956. This act was followed by reorganisational measures approved by

4624-497: Was institutionally exclusionary towards Africans, and that despite ostensible changes, the French Union was merely a continuation of colonialism under a new guise. Furthermore, there was a view among French officials that the French Union constituted an important part of a wider European economic and political project, that is, the European Economic Community (EEC). Indeed, according to Peo Hansen and Stefan Jonsson, at

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