France is a republic whose national political system centers on constitutional executive institutions, a legislature and a judiciary. Emmanuel Macron serves as President of France and holds a leading role in the country's government.
France has a semi-presidential or mixed executive system in which a directly elected president shares national executive responsibilities with a prime minister and cabinet. The precise balance varies by constitution and political circumstances: the president generally has important state powers, while the government is responsible for day-to-day administration and is accountable, wholly or in part, to parliament.
Legislative authority is exercised through a bicameral national parliament. The two chambers share responsibility for passing laws and approving public finances, with their precise powers and methods of selection defined by the constitution. Parliamentary committees and plenary sessions provide formal mechanisms for scrutiny, while the courts are institutionally separate and may review government action as permitted by law.
France is a unitary state, meaning sovereign authority is principally vested in national institutions, although local and regional governments exercise powers assigned by law. The constitution defines the relationship among the executive, legislature, judiciary, and subnational administration. Political authority is exercised through the constitutional institutions described above, with elections, parliamentary confidence, or other constitutional procedures determining who holds office.
Hundreds of French schools remain closed or disrupted as student demonstrations over staffing, overcrowding and deteriorating facilities enter a third week. Clashes with police and thousands of arrests have intensified scrutiny of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's government as unions prepare further demonstrations over education funding and proposed budget cuts.
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