Country profile
France
République française
Europe · Western Europe
FR · FRA
- Capital
- Paris
- Population
- 66,351,959
- Area
- 543,908 km²
- Democracy index
- 79
- Regime type
- Fragmented Democracy
Events
Ballots from France
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from France. Community totals are not official results.
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Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
79/100
Regime type
Fragmented Democracy
France operates as a mature parliamentary democracy where institutional structures remain robust and elections are consistently free and fair. However, the political environment currently faces significant challenges due to deep societal polarization, intense public protest movements, and a legislative process that is increasingly marked by deadlock and executive reliance on controversial constitutional mechanisms to pass key reforms. While the judiciary remains independent and the rule of law is firmly upheld, the fragmentation of the political landscape has created substantial friction between the administration and the electorate, undermining the ability of the state to reach consensus on major policy issues. Concerns regarding the concentration of power within the executive office and the treatment of civil protest continue to fuel debate, yet the overall democratic framework remains intact and responsive to established legal challenges.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
Country background
A concise introduction to France, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-7, the G-20, the EU, and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing then President Charles DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to withdraw French forces from NATO.
Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities -- French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion -- became French regions and were made part of France proper.