National and Global Politics in France
Before getting into politics-related vocabulary words, it might be helpful to understand how the federal French government works.
The basic setup in France is that the country has both a president (le président) and a prime minister (le premier ministre). The President is the head of state (le chef de l’état), and the Prime Minister is the head of government (le chef du gouvernement). The president is elected by a popular vote for a five-year term, while the Prime Minister is selected by the president and approved by Parliament. The Parliament of France is bicameral (meaning two parts), with the National Assembly as the lower house and the Senate as the upper house.
government & Politics Nouns and concepts
| le comité | committee |
| le débat | debate |
| le citoyen | citizen |
| la démocratie | democracy |
| l’état (m) | state |
| le droit de vote | right to vote |
| le gouvernement | government |
| l’élection (f) | election |
| le chef de l’état | head of state |
| le sénat | senate |
| le chef du gouvernement) | head of government |
| l’assemblée nationale (f) | the national assembly |
government & Politics Verbs
| démissionner | to oust, to resign |
| diriger | to be in charge of, to manage, to direct |
| recenser | to take a census of |
| élire | to elect |
Internal and Local Politics in France
France has a long history of protests and demonstrations (some people would say it’s even part of French culture). One type of protest, strikes, or les grèves, are a common method of protest (la protestation) for unions (les syndicats) and other political groups. As in other countries, in France they’re often organized by trade unions to demand higher wages, better protection for workers, or improved working conditions. Other protests and demonstrations (les manifestations) are also common.
| les syndicats | unions |
| une grève | a strike |
| une protestation | a protest |
| les revendications (f) | claims, demands |
| le porte-parole | spokesperson |
| le rassemblement | rally, gathering |
| la manifestation politique | political demonstration |
Other Political Vocabulary VERBS
Below are some more action verbs that you might see when reading about national and international politics.
| écarter | to open, to move farther apart, to move aside |
| saluer | to wave, salute, greet, or acknowledge |
| appuyer | to rest on, to lean on, to press (as in a button) |
| éclater | to burst, explode, rupture |
| gifler | to slap, humiliate |
| tenter | to attempt |
| serrer | to hold tightly, to grasp, to squeeze |
| tenir | to hold, to prevail, to keep |
| retenir | to keep from, to prevent, to restrain |
