French National Assembly

:This article concerns the modern National Assembly. For information about the body formed in the French Revolution, see National Assembly (French Revolution).

Related Topics:
French Revolution - National Assembly (French Revolution)

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The French National Assembly (French: "Assemblée nationale") is one of the two houses of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The other is the French Senate ("Sénat").

Related Topics:
French - French - Bicameral - Parliament of France - Fifth Republic - French Senate

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The National Assembly consists of 577 members ( Members 577) known as députés (deputies), each elected by a single-member constituency. It is presided over by a President (currently Jean-Louis Debré). The term of the National Assembly is at most five years. The President of France may dissolve the Assembly (by i.e.: calling a new election), unless he dissolved it in the preceding year.

Related Topics:
Deputies - Jean-Louis Debré - President of France

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The official seat of the National Assembly is the Palais Bourbon on the banks of the river Seine. It is guarded by Republican Guards.

Related Topics:
Palais Bourbon - Seine - Republican Guards

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Following from a tradition started by the first French 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 sit to the right, and the seating thus directly indicates the political spectrum as represented in the Assembly.

Related Topics:
Left-wing - Right-wing - Political spectrum

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The last legislative elections, held in June 2002 resulted in the following distribution of seats:

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