Politics of France

Politics of France
Government of France (about government structures) and Politics of France (about political groups and tendencies).
The constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by public referendum on September 28, 1958. It greatly strengthened the authority of the executive in relation to Parliament. Under the constitution, the president is elected directly for a 5-year (originally 7-year) term. Presidential arbitration assures regular functioning of the public powers and the continuity of the state. The president names the prime minister, presides over the cabinet, commands the armed forces, and concludes treaties. (more…)

Travelling to & in France

Getting to and travelling around France
By air:
Flying is the quickest way. Operating more than fifty routes between France’s main towns and cities, Air France and Air Inter provide a domestic network that spans the entire country, with average flying times of one hour. Call in at your local travel agent or airline company to ask about discounted fares (charters, off-peak flights).
Air France: (33-1) 44 08 24 24.
Air Inter: (33-1) 45 46 90 00.
Air Liberté: (33-1) 40 28 47 31. (more…)

Culture of France

Newspapers
36% of the French read a daily newspaper every day. There are seven national newspapers and 160 regional papers (dailies and weeklies). Total annual circulation: 9 billion.
Periodicals
Among the top 100, six have a circulation of over one million and eight over 500,000 copies. With 1,354 copies sold for every 1,000 residents, France ranks first in the world for magazine readership.
Television
Watching television remains the favourite leisure activity of the French, with an average of 3 hours 15 minutes per person per day.
There are over 130 television channels.. (more…)