Canada and the World Backgrounder, December 1st, 2003
Capital: Paris
Head of State: President Jacques Chirac (since May 1995) President is elected by popular vote for a five-year term (changed from seven-year term in 2001)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin (since May 2002) Prime Minister is nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the president
Parliament: The upper chamber, the Senate, has 321 seats (296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year, terms; elected by...
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