Senate ( France ) - wikipedia Senate ( France ) Not to be confused with the Sénat conservateur of the French Consulate and First French Empire. Coordinates : 48 ° 50 ′ 54 '' N 2 ° 20 ′ 14.2 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 48.84833 ° N 2.337278 ° E ﻿ / 48.84833 ; 2.337278 Senate Sénat Type Type Upper house of the French Parliament History Founded 1799 Leadership Président Gérard Larcher Structure Seats 348 Political groups CRCE ( 15 ) SOC ( 78 ) RDSE ( 21 ) REM ( 21 ) LIRT ( 11 ) UC ( 49 ) LR ( 145 ) RASNAG ( 8 ) Elections Voting system Indirect election Last election 24 September 2017 Next election September 2020 Meeting place Luxembourg Palace, Paris Website www.senat.fr France This article is part of a series on the politics and government of France Republic Fifth Republic Constitution Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen Executive President ( list ) Emmanuel Macron Prime Minister ( list ) Édouard Philippe Government Philippe II Legislature National Assembly President : François de Rugy Senate President : Gérard Larcher Congress of the French Parliament Judiciary Constitutional Council Council of State Court of Cassation Court of Audit Cour de Justice de la République Administrative divisions Regions Departments Elections Presidential Legislative Municipal Political parties Foreign relations Africa Americas Asia France and the United Nations Foreign alliances Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Related topics Human rights Political scandals France portal Other countries Atlas The Senate ( French : Sénat ; pronunciation : ( seˈna ) ) is the upper house of the French Parliament, presided over by a president. 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 Senate is housed inside the Luxembourg Palace in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, and is guarded by Republican Guards. In front of the building lies the Senate 's garden, the Jardin du Luxembourg, open to the public. Contents 1 History 2 Composition and election 2.1 Parliamentary groups 3 President 4 Powers 5 See also 6 Notes and references 7 External links History France 's first experience with an upper house was under the Directory from 1795 to 1799, when the Council of Ancients was the upper chamber. There were Senates in both the First and Second Empires ( the former being known as the Sénat conservateur, the latter as the French Senate ), but these were only nominally legislative bodies -- technically they were not legislative, but rather advisory bodies on the model of the Roman Senate. With the Restoration in 1814, a new Chamber of Peers was created, on the model of the British House of Lords. At first it contained hereditary peers, but following the July Revolution of 1830, it became a body to which one was appointed for life. The Second Republic returned to a unicameral system after 1848, but soon after the establishment of the Second French Empire in 1852, a Senate was established as the upper chamber. In the Fourth Republic, the Senate was replaced by the Council of the Republic, but its function was largely the same. With the new constitution of the Fifth Republic enforced on 4 October 1958, the older name of Senate was restored. In 2011, the Socialist Party won control of the French Senate for the first time since the foundation of the French Fifth Republic. In 2014, the centre - right Gaullists and its allies won back the control of the Senate. The Luxembourg Palace Office of the President of the French Senate Composition and election Until September 2004, the Senate had 321 senators, each elected to a nine - year term. That month, the term was reduced to six years, while the number of senators progressively increased to 348 in 2011, in order to reflect the country 's population growth. Senators were elected in thirds every three years ; this was also changed to one - half of their number every three years. Senators are elected indirectly by approximately 150,000 officials ( `` grands électeurs '' ), including regional councilors, department councilors, mayors, city councilors in large towns, and members of the National Assembly. However, 90 % of the electors are delegates appointed by councilors. This system introduces a bias in the composition of the Senate favoring rural areas. As a consequence, while the political majority changes frequently in the National Assembly, the Senate has remained politically right since the foundation of the Fifth Republic, much to the displeasure of the Socialists. This has spurred controversy, especially after the 2008 senatorial elections in which the ( left - wing ) Socialist Party, despite controlling all but two of France 's regions, a majority of départements, and communes representing more than 50 % of the population, still failed to achieve a majority in the Senate. The Senate has also been accused of being a `` refuge '' for politicians that have lost their seats in the National Assembly. However, the left ( led by the Socialist Party ) gained control of the French Senate for the first time since 1958 during the 2011 elections, leading to the election of Jean - Pierre Bel at its presidency. This proved a short - lived win, as the right ( led by the Union for a Popular Movement ) regained the French Senate three years later. Parliamentary groups Composition of the Senate as of 22 October 2017 Parliamentary group Members Associated Attached Total President LR The Republicans 128 6 11 145 Bruno Retailleau SOC Socialist and Republican 77 0 78 Didier Guillaume UC Centrist Union 42 6 49 Hervé Marseille REM La République En Marche 19 21 François Patriat RDSE European Democratic and Social Rally 19 0 21 Jean - Claude Requier CRCE Communist, Republican, Citizen and Ecologist 12 0 15 Éliane Assassi LIRT The Independents -- Republic and Territories 10 0 11 Claude Malhuret RASNAG Administrative meeting of senators not appearing on the list of any group 8 -- -- 8 Philippe Adnot ( delegate ) President Gérard Larcher, President of the French Senate since 2014. The senators elect a President from among their members. The current incumbent is Gérard Larcher. The President of the Senate is, under the constitution of the Fifth Republic, first in the line of succession -- in case of death, resignation or removal from office ( only for health reasons ) -- to the Presidency of the Republic, becoming Acting President of the Republic until a new election can be held. This happened twice for Alain Poher -- once at the resignation of Charles de Gaulle and once at the death of Georges Pompidou. The President of the French Senate also has the right to designate three of the nine members of the Constitutional Council, serving for nine years. Powers Under the Constitution, the Senate has nearly the same powers as the National Assembly. Bills may be submitted by the administration ( projets de loi ) or by either house of Parliament ( propositions de loi ). Because both houses may amend the bill, it may take several readings to reach an agreement between the National Assembly and the Senate. When the Senate and the National Assembly can not agree on a bill, the administration can decide, after a procedure called commission mixte paritaire, to give the final decision to the National Assembly, whose majority is normally on the government 's side. This does not happen frequently ; usually the two houses eventually agree on the bill, or the administration decides to withdraw it. However, this power gives the National Assembly a prominent role in the law - making process, especially since the administration is necessarily of the same side as the Assembly, for the Assembly can dismiss the administration through a motion of censure. The power to pass a vote of censure, or vote of no confidence, is limited. As was the case in the Fourth Republic 's constitution, new cabinets do not have to receive a vote of confidence. Also, a vote of censure can occur only after 10 percent of the members sign a petition ; if rejected, those members that signed can not sign another petition until that session of Parliament has ended. If the petition gets the required support, a vote of censure must gain an absolute majority of all members, not just those voting. If the Assembly and the Senate have politically distinct majorities, the Assembly will in most cases prevail, and open conflict between the two houses is uncommon. The Senate also serves to monitor the administration 's actions by publishing many reports each year on various topics. See also French Congress French Parliament List of Presidents of the French Senate List of senators of France by department Leader of the Opposition in the French Senate Politics of France Senators for life in France Notes and references Jump up ^ Bremer, Catherine ( 25 September 2011 ). `` French left seizes Senate majority, hurts Sarkozy ''. Reuters. Jump up ^ http://www.senat.fr/lng/en/index.html Jump up ^ `` Les groupes politiques ''. Senat.fr. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011. Jump up ^ Gilles Le Béguec, Les socialistes et le Sénat, Parlement ( s ), Revue d'histoire politique, n ° 6 2006 / 2, pp. 57 -- 72, L'Harmattan, ISSN 1768 - 6520 ( print ) ISSN 1760 - 6233 ( online ) Jump up ^ `` Sénat, le triomphe de l'anomalie -- Libération ''. Libération. France. 25 September 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2011. Jump up ^ `` Liste des sénateurs par groupes politiques ''. Sénat. Retrieved 22 October 2017. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Senate of France. Official web site. French Senate at Google Cultural Institute Senate of France Leadership President Vice Presidents Secretaries Questors Committee Chairs Opposition Leader of the Opposition Standing Committees Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Social Affairs Culture, Education and Communication Economy, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning Finance Laws Elections & members 1959 ( m ) 1962 1965 1968 1971 1977 1980 1986 1995 1998 2004 ( m ) 2008 ( m ) 2011 ( m ) 2014 ( m ) 2017 ( m ) See also Demographics Political Groups Congress Political groups in the French Senate Current groups Communist, Republican, Citizen and Ecologist ( CRCE ) Socialist and Republican ( SOC ) European Democratic and Social Rally ( RDSE ) La République En Marche ( REM ) The Independents -- Republic and Territories ( LIRT ) Centrist Union ( UC ) The Republicans ( LR ) Administrative meeting of senators not appearing on the list of any group ( RASNAG ) France topics History Periods Timeline Prehistory Celtic Gaul Roman Gaul Kingdom of the Visigoths Francia West Francia Middle Ages Early modern era Long nineteenth century Revolutionary era Napoleonic era Belle Époque Twentieth century Regimes Absolute monarchy Ancien Régime First Republic First Empire Constitutional monarchy Bourbon Restoration July Monarchy Second Republic Second Empire Third Republic France during the Second World War Free France Vichy France Provisional Republic Fourth Republic Fifth Republic Geography Administrative divisions Cities Climate Extreme points Islands Lakes Mountains Rivers Politics Constitution Elections presidential Foreign relations Government Human rights Intersex LGBT Judiciary Law enforcement Military Parliament Political parties Economy Agriculture Banking Central bank Economic history Energy Euro Exports Franc ( former currency ) French subdivisions by GDP Stock exchange Taxation Telecommunications Tourism Trade unions Transport Society Crime Demographics Education Health care People Poverty Religion Social class Welfare Culture Architecture Art Cinema ( comedy ) Cuisine Fashion Gardens Language Literature Media Music Philosophy Public holidays Sport Symbols Theatre Outline Book Portal WikiProject Upper houses of national legislatures Federal Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Canada Ethiopia Germany India Malaysia Mexico Nepal Nigeria Pakistan Russia Somalia South Sudan Sudan Switzerland United States Unitary Afghanistan Algeria Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belarus Belize Bhutan Bolivia Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Chile Colombia Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Czech Republic Dominican Republic Equatorial Guinea France Gabon Grenada Haiti Indonesia Ireland Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Morocco Myanmar Namibia Netherlands Oman Palau Paraguay Philippines Poland Romania Rwanda Saint Lucia Slovenia South Africa Spain Swaziland Tajikistan Trinidad and Tobago United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan Zimbabwe Dependent and other territories American Samoa Bermuda Isle of Man Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico Non-UN states Somaliland Defunct Ireland Portugal Burma British Raj Iran East Germany Dominican Republic Fiji Sweden Japan Weimar Germany Greece Prussia Austria Nepal New Zealand Ceylon Malta Mauritania Northern Ireland South Africa South Korea Turkey Venezuela Senegal Kingdom of Serbia Soviet Union Russian Empire Thailand Related Bicameralism Unicameralism List of abolished upper houses List of legislatures by country National lower houses National bicameral legislatures National unicameral legislatures France portal Politics of France portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Senate_(France)&oldid=816060026 '' Categories : Senate ( France ) National upper houses Government of France Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from April 2011 Coordinates on Wikidata Articles containing French - language text Talk Contents About Wikipedia Беларуская Български Brezhoneg Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית ქართული Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Occitan Polski Português Русский Scots Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 19 December 2017, at 00 : 13. 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Question: how many members are in the senate in france
Answer: 348