The National Assembly and the Senate

The French Parliament has two chambers: the National Assembly, elected by direct universal suffrage, and the Senate, elected by indirect suffrage. Both pass laws, but only the Assembly can topple the government and have the last word.

A bicameral Parliament

France has chosen bicameralism. The National Assembly sits at the Palais Bourbon, the Senate at the Palais du Luxembourg, both in Paris. The two chambers examine the same texts, but their composition and powers differ.

The National Assembly

The Assembly has 577 deputies. They are elected for five years by direct universal suffrage, by two-round majority voting, in as many constituencies. Eleven of these are reserved for French citizens living abroad.

To be elected in the first round, a candidate must obtain an absolute majority of votes cast and at least a quarter of registered voters. In the second round, candidates who obtained at least 12.5% of registered voters may stand. The absolute majority in the Assembly is 289 seats.

Deputies organise themselves into political groups, which must have at least fifteen members. They also work in no more than eight standing committees, which examine bills before they are debated in plenary session.

The Senate

The Senate has 348 senators. They are elected for six years by indirect suffrage, by an electoral college of around 160,000 grand electors, made up overwhelmingly of delegates from municipal councils, as well as deputies and regional and departmental councillors. The Senate is renewed by half every three years. The last renewal took place on 27 September 2026.

Under Article 24 of the Constitution, the Senate “ensures the representation of local authorities”. It cannot be dissolved.

How a law is passed

A text may come from the government (government bill) or from a parliamentarian (private member's bill). It is examined successively by the two chambers, a process known as the navette. Each chamber may amend it.

If both chambers adopt the same text, the law is adopted.
In the event of disagreement, the government may convene a joint committee (commission mixte paritaire) of seven deputies and seven senators to reach a compromise.
If the disagreement persists, the government may ask the National Assembly to rule definitively (Article 45).

This rule gives the final say to the Assembly. There are exceptions: an organic law concerning the Senate and a constitutional revision require the agreement of both chambers.

Overseeing the government

Both chambers monitor the action of the government: written and oral questions, committees of inquiry, information missions and hearings of ministers. But only the National Assembly can call the government's responsibility into question.

A motion of censure must be signed by at least one tenth of deputies. It is adopted only if it secures an absolute majority of the members of the Assembly. Under the Fifth Republic, two motions have been adopted: in October 1962 against the government of Georges Pompidou, and on 4 December 2024 against that of Michel Barnier.

Sessions and Congress

Since 1995, Parliament has sat in a single ordinary session, from October to June. Extraordinary sessions may be convened. The two chambers may meet together as a Congress, at Versailles, to adopt a constitutional revision by a three-fifths majority or to hear a declaration by the President of the Republic.

And during the presidential election?

Parliamentarians play a direct role in the presidential election: deputies and senators are among the elected officials entitled to sponsor (parrainer) a candidate. Furthermore, since 2002, legislative elections have followed the presidential election by a few weeks, unless the Assembly is dissolved.