President Emmanuel Macron named close ally Sébastien Lecornu as the new French Prime Minister, a day after a confidence vote in parliament removed François Bayrou from the post.

• The French Constitution (1958): France operates under the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, drafted in 1958. It establishes a semi-presidential system, with power shared between the directly elected President and the appointed Prime Minister.
• French Parliament: France has a bicameral legislature, consisting of:
  • National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale), the directly elected lower house, with members (deputies) chosen through a two-round electoral system for five years. It holds primary law-making power and can bring down the government through no-confidence motions.
  • Senate (Sénat), the upper house, indirectly elected by local officials. It reviews legislation but does not control the government.

Selection Procedure of Prime Minister of France

• Presidential Appointment (Article 8): The President of France has the power to appoint the Prime Minister.
• Support from the National Assembly: Even though the President chooses the PM, the PM must have support in the National Assembly (the lower house of Parliament).
• If the President’s party has a majority, he/she usually appoints a PM from his own party.
• If the opposition controls the Assembly, the President must appoint a PM from that group (this is called cohabitation).
• No-Confidence Motion (Article 49): The National Assembly can remove the PM through a vote of no-confidence. If this happens, the PM must resign.
• Tenure: The PM does not have a fixed term. He continues in office as long as he has both the President’s support and the confidence of the National Assembly.

Comparative Analysis with India

• Direct vs. Indirect Legitimacy: In India, the PM’s authority flows directly from legislative majority. In France, legitimacy rests on presidential appointment balanced by legislative acceptance.
• Stability vs. Flexibility: India’s parliamentary system generally provides stability, though critics warn of excessive concentration of power under majority governments.
• France’s semi-presidential design balances power but can produce frequent PM changes when no party secures a stable majority.
• Role of Head of State: The Indian President acts on convention, while the French President wields real discretion in selecting and dismissing PMs.

Similarities between the Constitution of India and France 

• France became a republic from a monarchy following the French Revolution.
• India was inspired by the French revolution. Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore in the late eighteenth century, planted the Tree of Liberty in his capital Seringapatam and called himself ''Citizen Tipoo''. 
• Since then, France has had numerous constitutions over the last two centuries, and the current one is the Fifth Republic, adopted in 1958. 
• The First Republic came into existence in 1793 following the French Revolution, the Second in 1848, the Third in 1875, and the Fourth in 1946.
• Both the countries have a written constitution which is based on the Ideals liberty, equality and fraternity outlined in French Revolution. 
• Both the countries have popular sovereignty wherein citizens enjoy ''universals adult franchise''.
• Both the Countries have a Bicameral Parliament. 
• In France, Members of Lower House (National Assembly) are elected by direct universal suffrage for five years whereas Members of Upper House (Senate) are elected through indirect universal suffrage and renewable by half every three years.
• Provision of emergency is also enshrined in the Constitution of both the countries. 

Contrasting Features of Constitution of India and France