# List of political systems in France

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This is a chronological list of political systems in France, from Clovis (481 CE) to modern times. A series of different monarchies spanned 1300 years from the Early Middle Ages to the French Revolution in 1789. The Revolution was followed by five periods of republicanism alternating with periods of imperial monarchy and one bout with authoritarianism during the Second World War. The Fifth Republic began in 1958 and is the political system in France as of 2024.

## Introduction

A political system (French: système politique), also known as a "form of government"  is a way of organizing a state. Some different political systems are: democracy, totalitarianism, authoritarianism, theocracy, feudalism, monarchism, republicanism, and various hybrid systems. Each of these may be further subdivided, for example: absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, and feudal monarchy, all of which have been present in France. Many of these forms of government were known in Classical antiquity, and pre-date the existence of France.
Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I (r. 509–511) as the first king of France, however historians today consider that such a kingdom didn't begin until the establishment of West Francia in 843. For the purposes of this article, all political systems from Clovis on are considered to be in scope.

## Historical context

The Franks were a group of Romanized Germanic dynasties within the collapsing Western Roman Empire, who eventually commanded the region between the rivers Loire and Rhine. Clovis I established a single kingdom uniting the core Frankish territories, and was crowned King of the Franks in 496. He and his descendants ruled the Merovingian dynasty until 751, when it was replaced by the Carolingians (751-843).
After the coronation of Charlemagne in 800, the Carolingian Empire (800–888) gradually came to be seen in the West as a continuation of the ancient Roman Empire. After the Treaty of Verdun in 843, the Kingdom of the Franks ("Francia") was divided into three separate kingdoms, merging into two: West Francia and East Francia. The latter became the Holy Roman Empire, and West Francia eventually became the core of the Kingdom of France, which was structured as a feudal monarchy and lasted for eight centuries (987–1792).
During the French Revolution, the last pre-revolutionary monarch, Louis XVI, was forced to accept the French Constitution of 1791, thus turning the absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy. This lasted a year, before the monarchy was abolished entirely in September 1792 and replaced by the First French Republic, marking the beginning of republicanism in France.
For roughly the next eighty years, there was an alternating series of empires, republics, and a kingdom, until the 1870 establishment of the Third Republic. From that point on, it was republics down to the present day, with the exception of the authoritarian Vichy regime during World War II. The Fifth Republic, established as a semi-presidential system in 1958, remains the political system in France as of now.

## List

| Name | Date | Type | constitution | Parliament | Parliament | Form of government | Form of government | Form of government |
| Name | Date | Type | constitution | Lower house | Upper house | Form of government | Form of government | Form of government |
| Federal monarchy | 481 to 1 Jun 987 | Federal monarchy (481–987) | Fundamental laws (481–1575) then Fundamental laws (1575–1789) | Legislative power belonged to the king and not to the parlements, which were courts. The king could call an Estates General to solicit advice (the last was in 1789). | Legislative power belonged to the king and not to the parlements, which were courts. The king could call an Estates General to solicit advice (the last was in 1789). | Ancien Régime (481–1791) | Royal Council : Council of State (13th c.–1790) separate from the Conseil des affaires (later, Conseil d'en haut) (16th c.–1792) | Kingdom of France (481–1792) |
| Feudal monarchy | 1 Jun 987–14 May 1610 | Feudal monarchy (987–1610) | Fundamental laws (481–1575) then Fundamental laws (1575–1789) | Legislative power belonged to the king and not to the parlements, which were courts. The king could call an Estates General to solicit advice (the last was in 1789). | Legislative power belonged to the king and not to the parlements, which were courts. The king could call an Estates General to solicit advice (the last was in 1789). | Ancien Régime (481–1791) | Royal Council : Council of State (13th c.–1790) separate from the Conseil des affaires (later, Conseil d'en haut) (16th c.–1792) | Kingdom of France (481–1792) |
| Absolutism | 14 May 1610–14 Sep 1791 | Absolutism (1610–1791) | Fundamental laws (481–1575) then Fundamental laws (1575–1789) | Legislative power belonged to the king and not to the parlements, which were courts. The king could call an Estates General to solicit advice (the last was in 1789). | Legislative power belonged to the king and not to the parlements, which were courts. The king could call an Estates General to solicit advice (the last was in 1789). | Ancien Régime (481–1791) | Royal Council : Council of State (13th c.–1790) separate from the Conseil des affaires (later, Conseil d'en haut) (16th c.–1792) | Kingdom of France (481–1792) |
| Absolutism | 14 May 1610–14 Sep 1791 | Absolutism (1610–1791) | Articles of constitution of 1789 | National Constituent Assembly (1789–1791) | National Constituent Assembly (1789–1791) | | Ancien Régime (481–1791) | Royal Council : Council of State (13th c.–1790) separate from the Conseil des affaires (later, Conseil d'en haut) (16th c.–1792) | Kingdom of France (481–1792) |
| Constitutional monarchy | 14 Sep 1791–21 Sep 1792 | Constitutional monarchy (1791–1792) | Constitution of 1791 | Legislative Assembly (1791–1792) | Legislative Assembly (1791–1792) | | | Royal Council : Council of State (13th c.–1790) separate from the Conseil des affaires (later, Conseil d'en haut) (16th c.–1792) | Kingdom of France (481–1792) |
| Constitutional monarchy | 14 Sep 1791–21 Sep 1792 | Constitutional monarchy (1791–1792) | Constitution of 1791 | Legislative Assembly (1791–1792) | Legislative Assembly (1791–1792) | | Provisional Executive Concil (Aug–Sep 1792) | Kingdom of France (481–1792) |
| First Republic | 21 Sep 1792–18 May 1804 | fr:Régime d'assemblée = ?? (1792–1795) | Constitution of 1793 | National Convention (1792–1795) | National Convention (1792–1795) | | Provisional Executive Concil (1792–1794) | French republic (1792–1804) |
| First Republic | 21 Sep 1792–18 May 1804 | fr:Régime d'assemblée = ?? (1792–1795) | Constitution of 1793 | National Convention (1792–1795) | National Convention (1792–1795) | General Defense Committee (Jan – Apr 1793) | Provisional Executive Concil (1792–1794) | French republic (1792–1804) |
| First Republic | 21 Sep 1792–18 May 1804 | fr:Régime d'assemblée = ?? (1792–1795) | Constitution of 1793 | National Convention (1792–1795) | National Convention (1792–1795) | Committee of Public Safety (1793–1795) | Commissioners of the CPS (1794–1795) | French republic (1792–1804) |
| First Republic | 21 Sep 1792–18 May 1804 | strict separation of powers (1795–1799) | Constitution of 1795 | Council of Five Hundred (1795–1799) | Council of Ancients (1795–1799) | Directory (1795–1799) | Directory (1795–1799) | | French republic (1792–1804) |
| First Republic | 21 Sep 1792–18 May 1804 | Consulate (1799–1802) | Constitution of 1799 | Legislative Body (1799–1814) | Conservative Senate (1799–1814) | Consulate Consulate|Consular Commission 11 Nov 1799–13 Dec 1799 Consulate|Consulat 13 Dec 1799–2 Aug 1802 First Consul 2 Aug 1802–18 May 1804 | Consulate Consulate|Consular Commission 11 Nov 1799–13 Dec 1799 Consulate|Consulat 13 Dec 1799–2 Aug 1802 First Consul 2 Aug 1802–18 May 1804 | | French republic (1792–1804) |
| First Republic | 21 Sep 1792–18 May 1804 | Authoritarianism (1802–1804) | Constitution of 1802 | Legislative Body (1799–1814) | Conservative Senate (1799–1814) | Consulate Consulate|Consular Commission 11 Nov 1799–13 Dec 1799 Consulate|Consulat 13 Dec 1799–2 Aug 1802 First Consul 2 Aug 1802–18 May 1804 | Consulate Consulate|Consular Commission 11 Nov 1799–13 Dec 1799 Consulate|Consulat 13 Dec 1799–2 Aug 1802 First Consul 2 Aug 1802–18 May 1804 | French republic (1792–1804) |
| First Empire | 18 May 1804–4 Apr 1814 | Imperial monarchy (1804–1814) | Constitution of 1804 | Legislative Body (1799–1814) | Conservative Senate (1799–1814) | French Empire (1804–1814) | French Empire (1804–1814) | French Empire (1804–1814) |
| First Restoration | 6 Apr 1814–20 Mar 1815 | Constitutional monarchy (1814–1815) | Charter of 1814 | Chamber of Deputies (1814–1815) | Chamber of Peers (1814–1848) | Kingdom of France (1814–1815) | Kingdom of France (1814–1815) | Kingdom of France (1814–1815) |
| Hundred Days | 20 Mar 1815–7 Jul 1815 | Imperial monarchy (Jun–Jul 1815) | Charter of 1815 | Chamber of Representatives (Mar–Jul 1815) | Chamber of Peers (1814–1848) | French Empire (1815) | French Empire (1815) | French Empire (1815) |
| Second Restoration | 8 Jul 1815–2 Aug 1830 | Constitutional monarchy (1815–1830) | restoration of the Charter of 1814 | Chamber of Deputies (1815–1848) | Chamber of Peers (1814–1848) | Kingdom of France (1815–1848) | Kingdom of France (1815–1848) | Kingdom of France (1815–1848) |
| July Monarchy | 9 Aug 1830–24 Feb 1848 | Constitutional monarchy (1830–1848) | Charter of 1830 | Chamber of Deputies (1815–1848) | Chamber of Peers (1814–1848) | Kingdom of France (1815–1848) | Kingdom of France (1815–1848) | Kingdom of France (1815–1848) |
| Second Republic | 24 Feb 1848–2 Dec 1852 | no type | no constitution | Constituent Assembly of 1848 (1848–1849) | Constituent Assembly of 1848 (1848–1849) | French republic (1848–1852) | French republic (1848–1852) | French republic (1848–1852) |
| Second Republic | 24 Feb 1848–2 Dec 1852 | Presidential system (1849–1852) | Constitution of 1848 | Legislative Assembly (1849–1851) | Legislative Assembly (1849–1851) | | French republic (1848–1852) | French republic (1848–1852) | French republic (1848–1852) |
| Second Empire | 2 Dec 1852–4 Sep 1870 | Imperial monarchy (1852–1870) | Constitution of 1852 then sixteen amendments | Corps législatif (1852-1870) | Senate (1852-1870) | French Empire (1852–1870) | French Empire (1852–1870) | French Empire (1852–1870) |
| Third Republic | 4 Sep 1870–10 Jul 1940 | Parliamentary republic (1871–1875) | no constitution from 1870 to 1874 | National Assembly (1871) (1875-1942) | National Assembly (1871) (1875-1942) | French republic (1870–present) | | |
| Third Republic | 4 Sep 1870–10 Jul 1940 | Parliamentary system (1875–1940) | Constitutional Laws of 1875 | National Assembly (3rd Rep.) (1875-1942) Chamber of Deputies (France) (1875-1942) Senate (1875-1942) | National Assembly (3rd Rep.) (1875-1942) Chamber of Deputies (France) (1875-1942) Senate (1875-1942) | | French republic (1870–present) | | |
| Free France | 18 Jun 1940–3 Jun 1943 | Resistance movement (1940–1943) | Brazzaville Manifesto | National Assembly (3rd Rep.) (1875-1942) Chamber of Deputies (France) (1875-1942) Senate (1875-1942) | National Assembly (3rd Rep.) (1875-1942) Chamber of Deputies (France) (1875-1942) Senate (1875-1942) | French republic (1870–present) | Vichy regime  (Unitary authoritarian dictatorship) (1940–1944) French Constitutional Law of 1940 Constitutional acts of the Vichy regime | Vichy regime  (Unitary authoritarian dictatorship) (1940–1944) French Constitutional Law of 1940 Constitutional acts of the Vichy regime |
| French Committee of National Liberation | 3 Jun 1943–3 Jun 1944 | Resistance movement (1940–1943) | Ordonnance from 17 Sep 1943 | Provisional Consultative Assembly (1943–1945) | Provisional Consultative Assembly (1943–1945) | | French republic (1870–present) | Vichy regime  (Unitary authoritarian dictatorship) (1940–1944) French Constitutional Law of 1940 Constitutional acts of the Vichy regime | Vichy regime  (Unitary authoritarian dictatorship) (1940–1944) French Constitutional Law of 1940 Constitutional acts of the Vichy regime |
| Provisional Government of the French Republic | 3 Jun 1944–27 Oct 1946 | no type | Ordinance of 9 August 1944 | Constituent Assembly of 1945 (1945–1946) | Constituent Assembly of 1945 (1945–1946) | French republic (1870–present) | Sigmaringen enclave (1944–1945) | Sigmaringen enclave (1944–1945) |
| Provisional Government of the French Republic | 3 Jun 1944–27 Oct 1946 | no type | Constitutional law of 2 November 1945 | Constituent Assembly of 1946 (Jun–Nov 1946) | Constituent Assembly of 1946 (Jun–Nov 1946) | French republic (1870–present) | | |
| Fourth Republic | 27 Oct 1946–4 Oct 1958 | Parliamentary system (1946–1958) | Constitution of 1946 | National Assembly (1946-1958) | Council of the Republic (1946-1958) | French republic (1870–present) | | |
| Fifth Republic | from 4 Oct 1958 to present (As of 2022) | Semi-presidential system (1958–present) | Constitution of 1958 | Congress (1958–present) National Assembly (1958–present) Senate (1958–present) | Congress (1958–present) National Assembly (1958–present) Senate (1958–present) | | French republic (1870–present) | | |