French Administration and Parliament: Structure and Functions
The French Administration
Since the beginning of the Fifth Republic to date, and regardless of the tasks assigned, the French Administration has been both the subject and object of public policy. In the context of the welfare state, its role has been changing due to the existence of power in Brussels. The peripheral and the rationalization of structures is one of the main purposes of the Fifth Republic.
Large ministries have been created to meet social demand. There have been attempts to change the habits of the rural economy, restructuring the central administration, combining three ideas: the man, space, and product.
In this regard, the most significant reform was the use of so-called mission management: faced with a new problem, it is easier to create a specific structure than to reform existing ones. The missions have a small number of high-level staff and teamwork, highlighting an achievement of the objectives of the chain of command and respect of the standard bureaucracy.
The Administration is also a means of selection and socialization of elites. In fact, the number of government members who come from the Administration has increased. Through its schools and large bodies, the Administration is also a means of forming the political elite, breaking with the republican tradition in which the senior official and minister were distinguished both by their social background and their training.
In the 1970s, the intention was that the relationship with users would be more fluid, resulting in an increase in administrative disputes in urban areas. The mediator (similar to the Spanish Ombudsman) was established, and arrangements were made for greater administrative transparency. The public service was also renewed, trying to introduce rationality into business management.
Since 1980, the social efficiency of the civil service has been sought through staff motivation and devolution of services. Currently, the most important territorial problems faced are the multiplication of orders and regulations that must be systematically reported to the State Council. The European Union has also increased the legislative maze.
Advisory Bodies of the French Government
The government has several advisory bodies. The most important are:
- The State Council, comprising senior officials, which has the following functions:
- Report on certain bills and decrees. The report is mandatory in cases where a law has to be developed by decree so provides. The Government needs its report on questions of law in specific fields.
- As Chief Administrative Court, it appeals judges in the resources of the decisions of the five administrative courts of appeal.
- The Economic and Social Council, comprising representatives of various professions, advises both the Government and Parliament on economic issues. It works in full and in session. The Government is obliged to seek their views on the bills of programs or economic and social plans, except finance laws.
The French Parliament
The French Parliament is bicameral and is composed of the National Assembly, directly elected, and the Senate, elected by indirect suffrage in the first or second degree. Both houses have very unequal powers. The mandate is expressly prohibited. Parliamentarians enjoy the privileges that guarantee their independence: irresponsibility, immunity, and remuneration.
Their function is incompatible with membership of any other State body, except the High Court and Court of Justice of the Republic. It is also incompatible with the exercise of public functions and private professions, with few exceptions.
Election of the National Assembly and Senate
The 577 deputies of the National Assembly are elected through a first-past-the-post ballot majority in two rounds. In the first round, candidates must obtain an absolute majority of votes cast, and that it is not less than 25% of voters. In the second round, a simple majority is sufficient. The runoff candidates must obtain a number of votes equal to 12.5% in the first round. This electoral system has been widely criticized for the inequalities of representation resulting, although it is also defended for favoring stable majorities. Candidates must be 23 years old.