The Role of the President

The President of the Republic has presidential powers and shared powers. The latter require a ministerial countersignature.

Presidential powers:

• Appointment of the Prime Minister: (>>Art.8)
• Holding of a referendum (>>Art.11) at the proposal of the Government, or on a joint motion of the two houses.
• The right to dissolve the National Assembly (>>Art.12)
• The emergency powers described in Article 16 (>>Art.16)
• The right to message the houses of Parliament (>>Art.18)
• Nomination of three of the members, as well as the President, of the Constitutional Council (>>Art.56)
• The right to referral to the Constitutional Council (>>Art.54 and Art.61)
• The other powers of the President of the Republic are countersigned by the Prime Minister and, where required, by the ministers concerned (>>Art.19):

The President of the Republic has regulatory power.

• He/she appoints ministers and terminates their appointments (>>Art.8) at the proposal of the Prime Minister.
• He/she signs the orders and decrees deliberated upon in the Council of Ministers (>>Art.13).
• He/she makes appointments to the civil and military posts of the State (>>Art. 13). Article 13 stipulates that appointments that must be made at a meeting of the Council of Ministers and refers to an organic act.
• He/she can convene the Parliament to an extraordinary sitting at the request of the Government or a majority of deputies (>>Art.30).
• He/she can grant pardons (>>Art.17)
• The President of the Republic appoints ambassadors (>>Art.14)
• He/she negotiates and ratifies treaties (>>Art.52)
• The President of the Republic promulgates Acts of Parliament in the fifteen days following the final passage of an Act and its transmission to the Government. Before the expiry of this time limit, the President may ask Parliament to reopen debate on the Act or any sections thereof, which cannot be refused (>>Art.10).

The President of the Republic chairs certain bodies:

• Chairs the Council of Ministers (>>Art.9)
• As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, chairs higher national defence councils and committees (>>Art.15).