The Senate is the upper house of the French Parliament. Indirectly elected by elected officials, it represents territorial collectivities of the Republic and French citizens living abroad. The Senate enjoys less prominence than the lower house, the directly elected National Assembly; debates in the Senate tend to be less tense and generally receive less media coverage.
The Radical Party of the Left is a social-liberal political party in France. A party in the Radical tradition, since 1972 the PRG was a close ally of the major party of the centre-left in France, the Socialist Party. After the 2017 presidential and legislative elections, negotiations to merge the PRG with the Radical Party began and the refounding congress to reunite the parties into the Radical Movement was held on 9 and 10 December 2017. However, a faction of ex-PRG members, including its last president Sylvia Pinel, split from the Radical Movement in February 2019 due to its expected alliance with La République En Marche in the European elections and plans to resurrect the PRG.
The French legislative elections took place on 10 June and 17 June 2007 to elect the 13th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, a few weeks after the French presidential election run-off on 6 May. 7,639 candidates stood for 577 seats, including France's overseas possessions. Early first-round results projected a large majority for President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP and its allies; however, second-round results showed a closer race and a stronger left. Nevertheless, the right retained its majority from 2002 despite losing some 40 seats to the Socialists.
The Democratic Movement is a centrist political party in France that is characterised by a strong pro-European stance. MoDem was founded by François Bayrou to succeed the Union for French Democracy (UDF) and contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential election. Initially named the Democratic Party, the party was renamed "Democratic Movement", because there was already a small Democratic Party in France. MoDem secured an agreement with En Marche! in the 2017 legislative election after Bayrou endorsed the candidacy of Emmanuel Macron in February. In June 2017, the MoDem and its MEPs were accused of potentially fictitious employment practices within the European Parliament. Bayrou resigned on 21 June from his post as Justice Minister soon after he became embroiled in the fictitious employment scandals, and allegations of harassment against a journalist reporting on the scandal.
The French municipal elections of 2008 were held on 9 March in that year to elect the municipal councils of France's 36,782 communes. The first task of each newly constituted municipal council was to elect a mayor for that commune.
Indirect Senate elections were held in Senegal on 19 August 2007. Over 13,000 MPs, local and municipal councillors were eligible to vote in this election, in which 35 of the Senate's 100 members were chosen across the country's 35 districts; President Abdoulaye Wade nominated the other 65 members.
The Modern Left, is a centrist political party in France founded in 2007.
The European Democratic and Social Rally group, formerly the Democratic and European Rally group, is a parliamentary group in the Senate including representatives of the Radical Party of the Left (PRG) that historically consisted of radicals of both the left and right. Before 1989, the group was known as the Democratic Left group.
Olivier Besancenot ; born 18 April 1974) is a French far-left political figure and trade unionist, and the founding main spokesperson of the New Anticapitalist Party from 2009 to 2011.
The Centrist Union group is a centrist parliamentary group in the Senate uniting members of the Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI) and Democratic Movement (MoDem), as well as the Centrist Alliance (AC), a former component of the UDI. The group was historically associated with the Popular Republican Movement (MRP) and later the Democratic Centre (CD), Centre of Social Democrats (CDS), and Union for French Democracy (UDF). Most recently, from 2012 to 2017, it was known as the Union of Democrats and Independents – UC group.
Regional elections were held in France on 14 and 21 March 2010. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 régions, which, though they do not have legislative autonomy, manage sizable budgets.
Legislative elections took place on 10 and 17 June 2012 to select the members of the 14th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic – a little over a month after the French presidential election run-off held on 6 May.
An indirect election for the French Senate was held on Sunday 28 September 2014. Senators were primarily elected by municipal officials, and the number of seats is fixed at 348. In the 2011 election, the Socialist Party and other left-of-centre parties gained a majority of seats in the French upper house for the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic. The UMP-led coalition won back the majority, regaining control of the Senate after three years.
The Socialist and Republican group is a parliamentary group in the Senate including representatives of the Socialist Party (PS).
The Republicans group, formerly the Union for a Popular Movement group, is a parliamentary group in the Senate including representatives of The Republicans (LR), formerly the Union for a Popular Movement.
The ecologist group was a parliamentary group in the Senate from 11 January 2012 to 29 June 2017 that included representatives of Europe Ecology – The Greens (EELV).
