List of Presidents of the French National Assembly

This page lists Presidents of the French parliament (or, as the case may be, of its lower Chamber).

The National Constituent Assembly was created in 1789 out of the Estates-General. It, and the revolutionary legislative assemblies that followed — the Legislative Assembly (1791–1792) and the National Convention (1792–1795), had a quickly rotating Presidency. With the establishment of the Directory in 1795, there were two chambers of the French legislature. The lower, the Council of Five Hundred, also had a quickly rotating chairmanship. Under Napoleon I, the Legislative Corps had all authority to actually enact laws, but was essentially a rubberstamp body, lacking the power to debate legislation. With the restoration of the monarchy, a bicameral system was restored, with a Chamber of Peers and a Chamber of Deputies. The Chamber of Deputies, for the first time, had presidents elected for a substantial period of time.

With the revolution of 1848, the monarchical assemblies were dissolved and replaced again with a unicameral National Assembly, which Napoleon III replaced with a new version of his uncle's Legislative Corps. With the establishment of the Third Republic, the name of Chamber of Deputies was restored, and after 1876 was joined by a Senate as an upper house. The Chamber of Deputies was renamed the National Assembly in the constitution of the Fourth Republic, and is still known as that.

Presidents of the National Constituent Assembly, 1789-1791

1793

*10 janvier VERGNIAUD Pierre
*24 janvier RABAUT ST ETIENNE J.Paul
*7 février BREARD J.Jacques
*22 février DUBOIS DE CRANCE
*7 mars GENSONNE Armand
*21 mars DEBRY Jean
*4 avril DELMAS J.F.Bertrand
*18 avril ALBA-LASOURCE Marc David
*2 mai BOYER-FONFREDE
*16 mai ISNARD
*20 mai MALLARME
*13 juin Collot d'Herbois
*27 juin THURIOT
*11 juillet JEANBON ST ANDRE
*25 juillet Georges DANTON
*9 aout HERAULT DE SECHELLES
*21 aout Maximilien ROBESPIERRE
*5 septemb Billaud-Varenne
*20 septem CAMBON Pierre joseph
*4 octobre CHARLIER Louis
*22 octobr BAYLE Moyse
*6 novemb LALOY Pierre Antoine
*22 novem ROMME Gilbert
*6 décemb VOULLAND
*21 décem COUTHON Georges

1794

5 janvier DAVID Louis Jacques20 janvier VADIER4 février BARBEAU DUBARRAN20 février SAINT JUST6 mars RUHL21 mars TALLIEN Jean Lambert5 avril AMAR20 avril LINDET Robert5 mai CARNOT Lazare20 mai PRIEUR-DUVERNOIS4 juin ROBESPIERRE Maximilien20 juin LACOSTE Elie5 juillet LOUIS19 juillet COLLOT D’HERBOIS4 aout MERLIN DE DOUAI19 aout MERLIN DE THIONVILLE3 septemb BERNARD DE SAINTES18 septem DUMONT André7 octobre CAMBACERES J.J.Régis22 octobr PRIEUR DE LA MARNE5 novemb LEGENDRE Louis21 novem CLAUZEL7 décemb REWBELL22 décem BENTABOLE

1795

5 janvier LETOURNEUR Etienne21 janvier ROVERE DE FONTVIELLE5 février BARRAS Paul20 février BOURDON DE L’OISE François6 mars THIBAUDEAU Antoine-Clair25 mars PELET DE LA LOZERE6 avril BOISSY D’ANGLAS19 avril SIEYES Emmanuel5 mai VERNIER Théodore26 mai MATHIEU4 juin LANJUINAIS Jean Denis19 juin LOUVET DE COUVRAI4 juillet DOULCET - PONTECOULANT19 juillet LAREVELLIERE-LEPEAUX2 aout DAUNOU17 aout CHENIER Marie-Joseph1 septemb BERLIER Théophile22 septem BAUDIN8 octobre GENISSIEU

Presidents of the Council of Five Hundred, 1795-1799

"to be done"

Presidents of the Legislative Corps, 1800-1814

Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies of the Departments, 1815-1830

Presidents of the National Legislative Assembly, 1849-1852

Presidents of the Consultative Assembly (Free French), 1943-1945