Your Guide to the

FRENCH
GOVERNMENT
June

2012

France, a founding member of the European Union, has a population

of 65 million (including overseas territories) and is the fifth largest
economy in the world.*
In spring 2012, a few months before the highly anticipated American
presidential elections and with the eurozone experiencing a major
crisis, France held its presidential and legislative elections. Elected in
May 2012, President Franois Hollande is the first Socialist French
president to be elected since Franois Mitterrand, who left office in 1995.
Hollandes election represents a major shift in Frances leadership, as
the Socialist Party and the French left have swept into power across
the executive and legislative branches in a series of historic electoral
victories.
* Based on Gross Domestic Product (current prices) data in the
International Monetary Fund World Economic Outlook, April 2012.
What follows is your guide to the French government
and a brief overview of the French political system:

I. THE FRENCH INSTITUTIONS

SEPTEMBER 25, 2011
France votes the left into the
Senate majority for the first
time in the Fifth Republics
history.
MAY 6, 2012
France elects Franois
Hollande president of the
Republic, the first Socialist
president since 1995.
June 17, 2012
France gives the Socialist
Party an absolute majority
in the National Assembly.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH // 2-3

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH // 3-4

II. THE NEW FRENCH PRESIDENT

BIOGRAPHY // 5

AGENDA // 5-6

INAUGURATION SPEECH // 6

III. THE NEW FRENCH GOVERNMENT

THE PRIME MINISTER // 7

THE CABINET // 7-9

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY // 10-11

IV. RESOURCES // 12-13

V. ABOUT THE FOUNDATION // 14

This Guide was prepared by the

French-American FoundationUnited States
Writers: Patrick Lattin & Eugnie Briet

The French Institutions

EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Frances political system is organized
as a semi-presidential republic,
meaning that its executive branch is
led both by a president and a prime
minister. Newly elected President
Franois
Hollande
and
newly
appointed Prime Minister JeanMarc Ayrault both belong to the
Socialist Party (PS). Unlike the U.S.
president, who is elected indirectly
by the Electoral College, the French
president is elected directly by
universal suffrage for a five-year term
and serves as the head of state. The
president appoints the prime minister
to serve as the head of government.

DIVISIONS OF POWER

Elyse Palace

The president appoints the prime minister, presides over the cabinet, serves as commander-in-chief
of the armed forces and concludes treaties. In the event of a national emergency, the president may
assume comprehensive powers.

The prime minister directs the operations of the government and, while not the commander-in-chief of
the armed forces, is responsible for the management of defense policy and coordinates the defenserelated activities of government ministries. The prime minister also coordinates the implementation of
laws and, unlike the president, has the right to introduce bills in Parliament.

COHABITATION
When the presidents political party controls the National Assembly, the president is the dominant
player and appoints the prime minister, typically from the same party. However, if an opposing
party controls the National Assembly, the president must choose a prime minister and a cabinet
reflecting the majority party in the National Assembly. This power sharing arrangement is known
as cohabitation.
However, reforms were adopted in the early 2000s to reduce the likelihood of future periods of
cohabitation. The presidential term was shortened from seven years to five, making it the same
length as the term of dputs in the National Assembly. Since 2002, the French have elected all
577 deputies a few weeks after choosing their president.

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Normally, however, the president does not introduce legislation, instead only making suggestions to
Parliament and the prime minister. In fact, most of the presidents powers require countersignature
by the prime minister; one notable exception is the power to dissolve the National Assembly. The
most recent dissolution of the National Assembly occurred in 1997. Then-President Jacques Chiracs
decision to do so resulted in early legislative elections that cost his party the majority in the National
Assembly.

THE CABINET

Salon Murat, Cabinet meeting room, Elyse Palace

The cabinet plays a key role in the executive branch, advising the president and prime minister in specific
policy domains. The cabinet is a council of ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of
the prime minister. Traditionally, the cabinet comprises members of three ranks. Ministers (ministres)
are the most senior members of the cabinet; deputy ministers (ministres dlgus) assist ministers
in key priorities of the ministry; secretaries of state (secrtaires dtat) assist ministers in less crucial
areas and attend cabinet meetings only occasionally.
The number of ministries, as well as the nature of their responsibilities, can vary depending on the
priorities of the president and the prime minister. Nevertheless, a few ministries, called the ministres
rgaliens (historically, rgalien refers to royal powers) are always the same: defense, foreign affairs,
justice, interior and finance.

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Frances Parliament consists of two chambers the National Assembly and the Senate. They pass
laws, vote on the national budget and monitor the actions of the executive branch.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Dputs in the National Assembly are elected to a five-year term by direct universal suffrage in a
two-round system of elections. All members of the National Assembly are elected at one time. In the
first round of elections, a candidate must receive more than half of the votes cast in order to win.
If there is no winner from the first round, a second round of
elections is held. The winner is the candidate who receives
the largest share of votes. Any candidate receiving more than
12.5 percent of the vote in the first round is eligible to take part
in the runoff elections. While two candidates generally pass on
to the second round of elections, three or even four candidates
can face off in what is called a triangulaire or quadrangulaire.
For the first time in 2012, French nationals living abroad elected
dputs in 11 districts. Each district was designed to create a
proportional representation of French citizens comparable to
those represented by dputs in mainland France.

Assemble Nationale

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There are 577 dputs in the National Assembly, which like the Senate, has the authority to submit
and amend bills and vote on the budget. While both chambers must pass a bill for it to become a law,
the cabinet can decide to give the National Assembly the last word in the legislative process in the
event of a disagreement between the two chambers. Unlike the Senate, the National Assembly has
the power to censure a government if a majority of the total Assembly membership votes in favor.

The Senates legislative powers are similar to those

of the National Assembly. Senators represent local
governments (collectivits territoriales). The Senate
submits and amends bills as well as votes on the
budget. The National Assembly can overrule the
Senate in the legislative process in the case of a
disagreement, but unlike the National Assembly, the
Senate cannot be dissolved. Members of the Senate
are elected indirectly by electoral colleges in their
districts and serve six-year terms. Every three years,
half of the Senate is up for re-election. There are 348
seats in the Senate.
The last Senate election was held in September 2011,
when the Socialist Party took the majority for the first
time since the beginning of the Fifth Republic in 1958.
The Senates leftist parties, led by the Socialist Party,
had made gains in the past three elections, adding
14 senators in 2004, 19 in 2008 and 22 in 2011. In
the wake of the historic shift, Socialist Senator JeanPierre Bel of the southwestern department of Arige
was elected president of the Senate on October 1,
2011.
Once elected, senators separate into political
groups based on political inclinations. Each group
must comprise ad minima 10 senators. The most
recent Senate took office on March 19, 2012, after
half the Senate was re-elected on September 25,
2011. The current set of senate groups aligns closely
with the prevalent political parties in France, with the
exception of the European Democratic & Social Rally
Group a bipartisan, centrist group that comprises
senators from various parties traditionally considered
both left and right. Members are free to vote as they
please with no expectation of party discipline.

Left

Socialists & Allies Group

130
Communist, Republican
& Citizen Group

21
Ecologist Group

10

161

Right

Union for a Popular

Movement Group

132
Centrist Union
& Republican Group

31

Other

163

European Democratic
& Social Rally Group

17

Unaffiliated senators

SENATE GROUPS
as of March 19, 2012, following the lefts rise to
power resulting from the September 2011 elections

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SENATE

Snat

The New French President

FRANOIS HOLLANDE
Franois Hollande, 58, is the 24th president of the French Republic. Hollande officially took office as
president of the Republic on May 15, 2012, following his election on May 6 with 51.7 percent of the
vote.
Hollande is a prominent member of the Socialist Party. He
served as a deputy in the National Assembly for the first
constituency of Corrze, a department in central France,
from 1997 to his inauguration as president. From 2008 to
his inauguration, he also served as president of the General
Council of Corrze. From 1997 to 2008, he was the head of
the French Socialist Party. He was the mayor of the small
town of Tulle from 2001 to 2008.
Hollande graduated from the prestigious Institut dEtudes
Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), as well as the cole
Nationale dAdministration (ENA) for aspiring French civil
servants and government officials.
Throughout his electoral campaign, Hollande emphasized
his everyman style, which he contrasted with that of his
opponent Nicolas Sarkozy. In the campaign leading up to
the second round, Hollande focused on the eurozone crisis
and the state of the economy.
Hollande is a French-American Foundation Young Leader
(1996) and lived in the United States in the summer of 1974
while a university student.

Franois Hollande

POLITICAL AGENDA
EMPLOYMENT & ECONOMIC GROWTH // creation of a public investment bank to invest

in public research // promotion of innovation and small businesses // endorsement of the eurobond
system for the European Union // strengthening of youth employment

FINANCE // reduction of public deficit to 0 percent of GDP by 2017 // tax reform to create more
revenue without penalizing the middle class // separation of lending and investment in banks

EDUCATION // creation of an additional 60,000 civil-servant posts (teachers, education advisors,

etc.) // reform of teacher training

ENVIRONMENT //

reduction of the share of electricity generated by nuclear power in France

from 75 to 50 percent in favor of renewable energy sources // tax incentives to encourage sustainable
development

SOCIETY //

marriage and adoption for same-sex couples // restoration of retirement age to 60

years old for those who have worked 41 years and began work at 18 // legislation to restrain the
increase in housing rents

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DOMESTIC PRIORITIES

INTERNATIONAL PRIORITIES
// Withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan by the end of
2012
// Promotion of peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority
and support for the international recognition of a Palestinian state
// Renewal of relations with North African and Middle Eastern
countries in the wake of the Arab Spring
// Reform of the traditional relationship between France and subSaharan African nations

Hollande, U.S. President Barack

Obama and German Chancellor
// Advancement of France to the forefront on issues pertaining to Angela Merkel at the G-8 Summit
climate change, including better relations with emerging countries at Camp David on May 19, 2012
on environmental issues and the creation of a World Environment
Organization

FRANOIS HOLLANDES INAUGURATION SPEECH

Given May 15, 2012, as translated by the French Embassy in the United States

On this day of my investiture into the highest office of the state, I send the French people a message
of confidence. We are a great country which, through its history, has always been able to brave the
ordeals and take up the challenges facing it. Every time, it succeeded in doing so by remaining what it
is. [] The mandate I received from the French people on May 6 is to put France back on her feet, in
a fair way. Open up a new way in Europe. Contribute to world peace and the protection of the planet.

NATIONAL UNITY

JUSTICE

Justice in the very concept of wealth creation. Its time to put production back above speculation,
future investment above present satisfaction, sustainable employment above immediate profit. []
But justice, too, in the way the essential effort is distributed. There cannot be sacrifices for ever more
people and privileges for ever fewer. This will be the thrust of the reforms the government will carry
out, with a concern to reward merit, work and initiative and to discourage exorbitant income and
remuneration. Justice will be the criterion on which each public decision will be taken.

EUROPEAN CRISIS

To overcome the crisis that is hitting it, Europe needs projects. It needs solidarity. It needs growth. I
shall propose to our partners a new pact combining the necessary reduction in public debt with the
essential stimulation of the economy.

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The country needs calm, reconciliation and to come together. Its the president of the Republics role to
help bring this about. [] Whatever our age, whatever our firm beliefs, wherever we live in mainland
France or in overseas France, in our towns and cities or in our rural areas, we are France. Not one
France set against another, but a reunited France with the same community of destiny.

The New French Government

THE PRIME MINISTER
Hollande appointed Jean-Marc Ayrault as his prime minister
on May 15, 2012.
Jean-Marc Ayrault, 62, is the former head of the Socialist
Party in the French National Assembly (1997-2012). Since
1989, he has also served as mayor of Nantes, the sixth
largest city in France. Ayrault has announced that he will
resign as mayor as soon as possible to focus on his new
responsibilities.
Ayrault is close to Hollande, having supported him during the
Socialist Partys 2011 primary election and played an active
role during Hollandes presidential campaign. Both Hollande
and Ayrault have promised to return to a traditional French
division of power: a president who sets the overall agenda
and a prime minister who implements it.

Jean-Marc Ayrault

Thanks to his experience at the National Assembly, the new prime minister brings a strong knowledge
of the workings of the legislature, which could be key to building a strong working relationship with the
two houses of parliament.
Ayrault was a teacher of German for 13 years before climbing the Socialist Partys echelons. His
language skills and knowledge of German culture have been considered a gesture of Hollandes
commitment to the French-German relationship. This is a strong signal to Germany, Sigmar Gabriel,
chairman of Germanys left-leaning Social Democratic Party, said in an interview.

On May 16, 2012, Ayrault announced a cabinet comprising 34 members. In a symbolic gesture, all
members resigned before the legislative elections held June 17 before Ayrault re-confirmed the cabinet
four days later. Prior to the elections, Ayrault had announced that any cabinet member running for a
seat in the National Assembly would only maintain their ministerial status if he or she won the election.
As all 25 of the cabinet members who ran for office indeed won their legislative races, the cabinet
announced on June 21 comprised the same 34 members with four additions.
Fullfilling Hollandes campaign promise, this government was the first to implement a strict gender
parity. The initial cabinet was made up of 18 ministers nine women and nine men and 16 deputy
ministers eight women and eight men. After the reconfiguration announced on June 21, that number
included two more female ministers and two additional male deputy ministers. The cabinet is dominated
by moderate members of the left,
notably members of the Socialist
Party. The government also reflects
Hollandes commitment to promoting
a new generation of leaders. Only
five of the cabinet members have
been ministers in the past.

Cabinet of
Prime Minister
Jean-Marc Ayrault

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THE CABINET

THE MINISTRIES
Prime Minister

INTERIOR
Manuel Valls

Alain Vidalies
Deputy Minister for Parliamentary
Relations

Minister

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Laurent Fabius

Minister

ECOLOGY, SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT & ENERGY
Delphine Batho
Minister

DEFENSE
Jean-Yves Le Drian

Frdric Cuvillier
Deputy Minister for Transport,
Maritime Affairs & Fisheries

Minister

Kader Arif
Deputy Minister for Veterans

Bernard Cazeneuve
Deputy Minister for European
Affairs

JUSTICE
Christiane Taubira

LABOR, EMPLOYMENT,
VOCATIONAL TRAINING &
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
Michel Sapin

Minister & Keeper of the Seals

Minister

WOMENS RIGHTS
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem

Thierry Repentin
Deputy Minister for Vocational
Training & Apprenticeship

Pascal Canfin
Deputy Minister for International
Development
Yamina Benguigui
Deputy Minister for Francophony
Hlne Conway
Deputy Minister for French Nationals Abroad

ECONOMY & FINANCE

Pierre Moscovici

Minister & Government Spokesperson

SOCIAL AFFAIRS & HEALTH

Marisol Touraine
Minister

HIGHER EDUCATION &

RESEARCH
Genevive Fioraso
Minister

Minister

Michle Delaunay
Deputy Minister for Senior
Citizens & Long-Term Care

Jrme Cahuzac
Deputy Minister for the Budget

Dominique Bertinotti
Deputy Minister for the Family

Benot Hamon
Deputy Minister for Economic
Solidarity & Consumer Affairs

Marie-Arlette Carlotti
Deputy Minister for the Disabled & the
Fight Against Discrimination

Guillaume Garot
Deputy Minister for Agribusiness

INDUSTRIAL RENEWAL
Arnaud Montebourg

NATIONAL EDUCATION
Vincent Peillon

Minister

Minister

ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM,
DECENTRALIZATION & CIVIL
SERVICE
Marylise Lebranchu

Fleur Pellerin
Deputy Minister for Small &
Medium-Sized Enterprises,
Innovation & the Digital Economy

George Pau-Langevin
Deputy Minister for Educational
Success

FOREIGN TRADE
Nicole Bricq

REGIONAL EQUALITY &

HOUSING
Ccile Duflot

Minister

Minister

ARTISINAL ECONOMY,
COMMERCE & TOURISM
Sylvia Pinel
Minister

Cabinet members named June 21,

following the final results of legislative
elections on June 17

Franois Lamy
Deputy Minister for Urban Affairs

CULTURE &
COMMUNICATION
Aurlie Filippetti

AGRICULTURE,
AGRIBUSINESS & FORESTRY
Stphane Le Foll
Minister

Minister
Anne-Marie Escoffier
Deputy Minister for
Decentralization

OVERSEAS TERRITORIES
Victorin Lurel
Minister

SPORTS, YOUTH, LIFELONG

EDUCATION & CIVIC
ORGANIZATIONS
Valrie Fourneyron
Minister

Minister

French-American FoundationUnited States

Jean-Marc Ayrault

THE CABINETS KEY PLAYERS

Laurent Fabius // Minister of Foreign Affairs

In 1984, Laurent Fabius, then 37, became the youngest prime minister in the Fifth Republic, a position
he held for two years during Franois Mitterrands presidency. He also served as a minister several
times under Mitterrand and once in Prime Minister Lionel Jospins cabinet.

Pierre Moscovici // Minister of the Economy, Finance and Foreign Trade

A Young Leader of the French-American Foundation (1996), Pierre Moscovici is a pro-European

Union politician who could be a key player in the European negotiations around the euro crisis. He
was a member of the European Parliament (1994-1997) before becoming Lionel Jospins Minister of
European Affairs (1997-2002). He became Hollandes campaign director after Hollandes victory in the
Socialist primary.

Manuel Valls // Minister of the Interior

Born in Barcelona, Spain, Valls became a naturalized French citizen in 1982 at the age of 20. A
member of the French National Assembly since 2001 and mayor of the city of Evry, Valls was also a
special advisor to two Socialist prime ministers: Michel Rocard (1988-1991) and Lionel Jospin (19972001). Valls was also a candidate in the Socialist presidential primary of 2011. At the Ministry of the
Interior, he must address questions on issues including immigration, secularism and public safety.

Jean-Yves Le Drian // Minister of Defense

A former member of the French National Assembly, Jean-Yves Le Drian was president of the local
assembly of Brittany from 2004 to 2012. An activist since his youth, Le Drian participated in the May
1968 protests as the head of several student organizations and joined the Socialist Party in 1974. A
longtime friend of Hollande, Le Drian worked on defense issues for Hollandes presidential
campaign.

Christiane Taubira // Minister of Justice & Keeper of the Seals

Christine Taubira, born in French Guiana, an overseas region of France, was the representantive of
her region in the National Assembly. She is also a former member of the European Parliament. She is
a well-known independent politician and is not a member of the Socialist Party.

A Young Leader of the French-American Foundation (1998), Marisol Touraine was a member of the
French National Assembly before her appointment as minister. She has also been president of the
General Council of Indre-et-Loire since 2011.

Arnaud Montebourg // Minister of Industrial Renewal

A Young Leader of the French-American Foundation (2000), Arnaud Montebourg was a National
Assembly dput before being appointed minister for industrial renewal, a newly created ministry
to promote employment growth and improve economic competitiveness. Montebourg has also been
president of the General Council of Sane-et-Loire since 2008. Montebourg was a candidate for the
2011 Socialist presidential primary and arrived in third place behind Hollande and Martine Aubry.

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem // Minister of Womens Rights // Cabinet Spokesperson

A Young Leader of the French-American Foundation (2006), Najat Vallaud-Belkacems role as

a minister is to prepare and implement the governments policy regarding womens rights, gender
parity in political representation and professional equity. At 35, Moroccan-born Vallaud-Belkacem is
the youngest minister in Ayraults cabinet. In 2011, she served as a spokesperson for Hollandes
presidential campaign, as she had for Sgolne Royal in 2007.

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Marisol Touraine // Minister of Social Affairs and Health

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Following the second round of elections on June 17, the Socialist Party and the left had indeed secured
an absolute majority surpassing by far the 289 of 577 seats required to hold the majority in the lower
house. While the left acquired a total of 341 seats, the Socialist Party and closest allies (Radical Party
of the Left and Citizen and Republican
Movement) had alone obtained a majority
with about 320 seats. Two traditional allies
on the left, Europe Ecology - The Greens

and the Left Front elected about 20 and

10 dputs, respectively. However, the

influence of these minority groups could

be negligible, as the Socialist Party will

not need to rely on those votes to enact

legislation.

Left

Franois Bayrou, leader and 2012

presidential candidate of the Democratic
Movement (MoDem) party, lost his election
in a triangulaire that favored a Socialist.
While his centrist MoDem party ended
the election with a mere two dputs, the
three-time presidential candidate said he
would retain a role in French politics.
The National Front also ended with two
wins in the National Assembly elections,
which was the first time since 1997 that the
far-right party had earned representation
in the lower house.

Socialist Party
Other Left
Europe Ecology
Radical Party of the Left
Left Front

280
22
17
12
10

341
Right

Union for a
Popular Movement
Other Right
New Center
Radical Party
Centrist Alliance

Other

194
15
12
6
2

229

Democratic Movement (Centrist)

Regionalists
National Front (Extreme Right)
Other Exreme Right

2
2
2
1

Results from the Ministry of the Interior.

10

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The right, particularly the Union for

a Popular Movement (UMP) party of
former President Nicolas Sarkozy, saw
a considerable reduction in its presence
in the National Assembly. A number of
prominent politicians once affiliated with
Sarkozy lost their elections, including
former Interior Minister Claude Guant
and Foreign Affairs Minister Michle
Alliot-Marie. Among Sarkozys former
cabinet members who won their elections
were Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, former
Ecology Minister and spokesperson for
Sarkozys government, and Henri Guaino,
a speechwriter and political advisor to
Sarkozy.

However, the National Fronts leader, Marine Le Pen daughter of

National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, who made waves in Frances
2002 presidential elections by advancing to the second round lost her
legislative race in the 11th district of Pas-de-Calais to Socialist Philippe
Kemel after coming in first with more than 42 percent of votes in the first
round.

Franois Bayrou, MoDem

Marine Le Pen made news between the two rounds by publicly

announcing a black list, calling on supporters of the National Front to
vote against eight specific candidates from the right and left, including
Kosciusko-Morizet. While half of the eight won their elections, the four
who lost included Jack Lang, a prominent Socialist and former minister
of both culture and education.

Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, UMP

Another scandal arose when Socialist Party dissident Olivier Falorni

refused to withdraw from a second-round runoff in the first district of
Charente-Maritime against Sgolne Royal 2007 second-round
presidential candidate, president of the region of Poitou-Charentes and
projected future president of the National Assembly. Falorni beat the
prominent Socialist figure with nearly 63 percent of votes.
In the first election of dputs to represent French citizens living abroad,
les Franais ltranger followed suit with mainland France by electing
eight candidates from the left seven Socialists, one Green of the
11 seats in this new category. In the first district, comprising the United
States and Canada, Socialist Corinne Narassiguin won with 54 percent of
votes against UMP candidate Frdric Lefebvre
in a district that had favored Nicolas Sarkozy in
the presidential elections the month before.

Jack Lang, PS

Marion Marchal-Le Pen, FN

Michle Alliot-Marie, UMP

As the election of the newest government reached its final ballot, French
voters seemed to express a waning interest. Abstention was at 44.1 percent
in the second-round legislative elections, up from the 20.52 percent and 19.65
percent reported in the first and second round of the presidential elections in
April and May 2012.
The number of women elected to the National Assembly was at an all-time
high, rising from 107 dputes in 2007 to 155 in 2012, meaning women will
comprise 27 percent of the Assembly. Of the 577 dputs elected, 344 were
incumbent candidates and 16 had previously held the office, while 217 (38
percent) were elected for the first time. At 22, Marion Marchal-Le Pen of
the National Front was the youngest Assembly member elected not only in
this election but in the history of the French Fifth Republic. At 76, Franois
Scellier of the UMP, was the oldest elected in 2012. The average age of
elected dputs was 54.6.
The new Assembly dputs officially took office on June 20. On June 21,
the Socialist majority in the National Assembly voted to present Claude
Bartolone dput from Seine-Saint-Denis and former minister for the city
(1998-2002) as the majority partys candidate for the presidency of the
National Assembly, anticipated to be confirmed in a vote on June 26.

Marine Le Pen, FN

11

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Sgolne Royal, PS

Claude Guant, UMP

Resources
INSTITUTIONS
FRENCH PRESIDENCY

EMBASSY OF FRANCE

www.elysee.fr
Learn more about the role of the president, the
history of the presidents of the Fifth Republic
and much more. Only in French.

www.franceintheus.org
Find extensive information on France and
French-American relations, as well as resources
for traveling to France. In English & French.

PRIME MINISTER & GOVERNMENT

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

www.gouvernement.fr
Find detailed information on all the ministries
and ministers: missions, biographies, agenda.
Only in French.

www.diplomatie.fr
Learn more about France in the world, foreign
policy and going to France but also about French
institutions, thanks to the article, Discovering
France (in the English section). In English &
French.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

www.assemblee-nationale.fr
Find detailed information about the mandate,
composition, work of the National Assembly. In
French & English.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

www.state.gov/p/eur/ci/fr/
Read the State Departments background notes
on France. Only in English.

SENATE

www.senat.fr
Find detailed information about the role,
composition and work of the Senate. In French
& English.

THE NEW GOVERNMENT

FRENCH GOVERNMENT:
WHOS IN & WHOS OUT?

http://www.france24.com/en/20120517france-2012-hollande-new-governmentayrault-prime-minister-aubry-vallsmoscovici
France 24 video in English.

HOLLANDE OUSTS SARKOZY IN FRENCH

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/07/world/
europe/hollande-and-sarkozy-in-crucialrunoff-in-france.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
May 6, 2012, New York Times article (English).
TIME INTERVIEW OF FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL
FRONT-RUNNER FRANOIS HOLLANDE

http://globalspin.blogs.time.
com/2012/04/13/time-interviews-frenchpresidential-front-runner-francois-hollande/
April 13, 2012, interview (English) in TIME.

12

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HOLLANDES INAUGURATION SPEECH

http://www.elysee.fr/president/
mediatheque/videos/2012/mai/discoursde-m-le-president-de-la-republique.13208.
html?search=&xtmc=&xcr=&offset=0&co
ntext=null
Video & Transcript in French.
http://ambafrance-us.org/spip.
php?article3469
Transcript in English.

FRENCH-AMERICAN RELATIONS
HOLLANDE - OBAMA

LE DRIAN - PANETTA

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-andvideo/video/2012/05/18/president-obamas-bilateral-meeting-president-francoishollande-fr
Hollande and Obama speak to the press after
a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office. Video
in French & English.

http://ambafrance-us.org/spip.
php?article3491
French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian
meets with U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon
Panetta. In English.

HOLLANDE - CLINTON

http://www.brookings.edu/research/
papers/2012/05/22-us-france-vaisse
French-American Foundation Young Leader
(2007) Justin Vasse, Director of Research at
the Center on the United States and Europe
at the Brookings Institute, explores the effect
of Hollandes election on French-American
relations. In English.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/
pix/2012/05/190375.htm
Lunch hosted by U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton with Franois Hollande. In
English.

FRENCH-AMERICAN RELATIONS AFTER THE

ELECTION OF FRANOIS HOLLANDE

FRENCH-AMERICAN FOUNDATION RESOURCES

WEBINAR: LE CHANGEMENT... ET MAINTENANT?

http://frenchamerican.org/events/webinar-lechangement-et-maintenant-frances-shift-leftand-prospects-change-christopher
Listen to this discussion with Christopher Dickey,
Newsweek magazine Paris bureau chief, on
the reasons for Frances shift to the left and the
implications thereof.
In English.

http://frenchamerican.org/policy-briefs/yourguide-french-elections-2012
Published in January 2012, this Guide provides
information about the electoral process in France,
Frances political parties and the key candidates in
the 2012 presidential elections.
In English.
FRENCH-AMERICAN FOUNDATION WEEKLY BRIEF

http://frenchamerican.org/weekly-brief
The Weekly Brief provides information about the
Foundations programs and events, as well as a
news and press review of the top stories from France,
Europe and the United States.
In English.

13

French-American FoundationUnited States

GUIDE TO THE FRENCH ELECTIONS 2012

ABOUT THE

FRENCH-AMERICAN FOUNDATION
Founded in 1976, concurrently with its sister foundation in France, the French-American
FoundationUnited States is the only non-governmental organization in the United
States dedicated specifically to strengthening the relationship between the two countries.
It does so by bringing together leaders, policy makers, and a full range of professionals to
exchange views, share best practices and consider how each country might benefit from
the expertise and experience of the other. We accomplish this mission through conferences
and study tours on subjects such as national security and defense, sustainability, equality
of opportunity (for universal access to education, employment and health care), business,
media and culture.
We depend on the generosity of our partners who share our
belief that the French-American relationship continues to be
unique and valuable, and their crucial support allows us to
continue the work that leads to better policy decisions, builds
effective networks and increases innovation and cooperation in
both nations.
These partnerships are essential to the Foundations ability
to maintain the important programs that achieve these goals
and address some of the most critical issues that shape our
economies, our societies, our political choices and our way of
life. With French-American Foundation Young Leader Franois
Hollande now in office as the president of France, and with six
other Young Leaders in his cabinet, it is clearer than ever that
our work has enormous potential to significantly and positively
impact all of these areas.

The French-American Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit, qualifying tax-exempt organization as

described in section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal
Revenue Code.
SIERRA C. SCHALLER
Director of Development
[email protected]
(212) 588-6780
CHRISSA LA PORTE
Director of Programs
[email protected]
(212) 829-8802

14

French-American FoundationUnited States

We would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about

getting involved with the Foundation and supporting our work.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Pierre Albouy
Jean-Luc Allavena
Ren-Pierre Azria
Paul S. Bird
Franois Bujon de lEstang
Allan M. Chapin
Paul B. Clemenceau
Alain Coblence
Gary M. Cole
Walter J.P. Curley
Michel David-Weill
Deborah L. Devedjian
Shannon Fairbanks
Charles Ferguson
Elizabeth Fondaras
Adam Gopnik
Jean-Marie Guhenno
Catharine Hamilton
Arthur A. Hartman
John G. Heimann
Janet Howard
Yves-Andr Istel
Jean Karoubi
Howard H. Leach
James G. Lowenstein
Joanne Lyman
David T. McGovern
William B. Matteson
Christophe Navarre
Franois Pags
Marie-Nolle Pierce
Leah Pisar
Douglas Price
Clyde E. Rankin, III
Felix G. Rohatyn
Alfred J. Ross
Jeffrey F. Scott
Anthony A. Smith
Craig R. Stapleton
Marie-Monique Steckel
Pierre Tattevin
John A. Thain
G. Richard Thoman
Antoine G. Treuille
Antonio Weiss
Guy Wildenstein

FRENCH-AMERICAN FOUNDATIONUNITED STATES

28 West 44th Street, Suite 1420
New York, NY 10036
(212) 829-8800

frenchamerican.org