French constitutional referendum, 1870

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A constitutional referendum was held in France on 8 May 1870. [1] Voters were asked whether they approved of the liberal reforms made to the constitution since 1860 and passed by the Sénatus-consulte on 20 April 1870. The changes were approved by 82.7% of voters with an 81.3% turnout. [2] However, France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War caused the Empire to be abolished later that year. Despite this being the ninth constitutional referendum in French history, it was the first to have more than 8% oppose the motion, and one of only four to have less than 99% official approval.

France Republic with mainland in Europe and numerous oversea territories

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million. France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

Constitution of France French Constitution adopted in 1958

The current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, and replaced that of the Fourth Republic dating from 1946. Charles de Gaulle was the main driving force in introducing the new constitution and inaugurating the Fifth Republic, while the text was drafted by Michel Debré. Since then the constitution has been amended twenty-four times, most recently in 2008.

A sénatus-consulte was a feature of French law during the French Consulate, First French Empire and Second French Empire.

Results

French constitutional referendum%2C 1870
French constitutional referendum, 1870
Choice Votes %
Yes check.svg Yes7,350,14282.7
No 1,538,825 17.3
Valid votes 8,888,967 98.7
Invalid or blank votes 112,975 1.3
Total votes9,001,942100.00

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References

  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p673 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Nohlen & Stöver, p683