French Presidential Succession

James G

Gone Fishin'
I'm working on the plans for a TL and am wondering over the details of the succession of the French President if the office-holder was killed or incapacitated.
US President succession is part of popular culture because the Americans have a President, Vice President, Senate President, House Speaker, Cabinet members etc... but France has no Vice President.
Would the Prime Minister become Acting President pending a hasty-arranged election, even if he was from a different party (as has been the case before), or is there someone else?
 

Archibald

Banned
Glad to be of help.
You should know however that, most of the time, the President of the Senate lacks the charisma to become the permanent president of France. What usually happens is that the interim president asks for a new presidential election within the next six months. That's what Alain Poher did, twice (after De Gaulle in '69, and after Pompidou death in 74')

Of course you could pull a Drew's Gumbo and have a French Spiro Agnew as the president of the senate not respecting the aforementioned tradition. He never calls for an election and remain President and screw France :D
I strongly suggest Charles Pasqua for the role - he was a weapon of massive corruption and a right-winger that could make the FN look moderate by comparison.
 
The President of the Senate is only acting president. He can run, but early elections are always called as per the constitution.
That mirrors the US presidential succession act of 1792 (excepted the difference is that there is no vice president in France).
 
Glad to be of help.
You should know however that, most of the time, the President of the Senate lacks the charisma to become the permanent president of France. What usually happens is that the interim president asks for a new presidential election within the next six months. That's what Alain Poher did, twice (after De Gaulle in '69, and after Pompidou death in 74')

Of course you could pull a Drew's Gumbo and have a French Spiro Agnew as the president of the senate not respecting the aforementioned tradition. He never calls for an election and remain President and screw France :D
I strongly suggest Charles Pasqua for the role - he was a weapon of massive corruption and a right-winger that could make the FN look moderate by comparison.

Lucky for France, Jacques Chirac was never the President of the Senate, that would be real French Spiro Agnew...
 
Glad to be of help.
You should know however that, most of the time, the President of the Senate lacks the charisma to become the permanent president of France. What usually happens is that the interim president asks for a new presidential election within the next six months. That's what Alain Poher did, twice (after De Gaulle in '69, and after Pompidou death in 74')
The interim President doesn't ask for an election; an election has to take place between 20 and 35 days after the vacancy has been declared by the Constitutional Council (Article 7, paragraph 4).
 
I don't quite understand what you mean: Jacques Chirac was elected President of France in 1995 and again in 2002. He's been France's head of state for 12 years.

The interim President doesn't ask for an election; an election has to take place between 20 and 35 days after the vacancy has been declared by the Constitutional Council (Article 7, paragraph 4).

Excuse me for the length of the citation. But this is thé text of the Constitution :

Article 7

The President of the Republic shall be elected by an absolute majority of votes cast. If such a majority is not obtained on the first ballot, a second ballot shall take place on the fourteenth day thereafter. Only the two candidates polling the greatest number of votes in the first ballot, after any withdrawal of better placed candidates, may stand in the second ballot.
The process of electing a President shall commence by the calling of said election by the Government.

The election of the new President shall be held no fewer than twenty days and no more than thirty-five days before the expiry of the term of the President in office.

Should the Presidency of the Republic fall vacant for any reason whatsoever, or should the Constitutional Council on a referral from the Government rule by an absolute majority of its members that the President of the Republic is incapacitated, the duties of the President of the Republic, with the exception of those specified in articles 11 and 12, shall be temporarily exercised by the President of the Senate or, if the latter is in turn incapacitated, by the Government.

In the case of a vacancy, or where the incapacity of the President is declared to be permanent by the Constitutional Council, elections for the new President shall, except in the event of a finding by the Constitutional Council of force majeure, be held no fewer than twenty days and no more than thirty-five days after the beginning of the vacancy or the declaration of permanent incapacity.

In the event of the death or incapacitation in the seven days preceding the deadline for registering candidacies of any of the persons who, fewer than thirty days prior to such deadline, have publicly announced their decision to stand for election, the Constitutional Council may decide to postpone the election.

If, before the first round of voting, any of the candidates dies or becomes incapacitated, the Constitutional Council shall declare the election to be postponed..

In the event of the death or incapacitation of either of the two candidates in the lead after the first round of voting before any withdrawals, the Constitutional Council shall declare that the electoral process must be repeated in full; the same shall apply in the event of the death or incapacitation of either of the two candidates still standing on the second round of voting.

All cases shall be referred to the Constitutional Council in the manner laid down in the second paragraph of article 61 or in that laid down for the registration of candidates in the Institutional Act provided for in article 6.

The Constitutional Council may extend the time limits set in paragraphs three and five above, provided that polling takes place no later than thirty-five days after the decision of the Constitutional Council. If the implementation of the provisions of this paragraph results in the postponement of the election beyond the expiry of the term of the President in office, the latter shall remain in office until his successor is proclaimed.

Neither articles 49 and 50 nor article 89 of the Constitution shall be implemented during the vacancy of the Presidency of the Republic or during the period between the declaration of the permanent incapacity of the President of the Republic and the election of his successor.
 
Top