- List of Presidents of the French Senate
The
French Senate is the Upper House of the French Parliament. It is presided over by a President. Although there had been Senates in both the First and Second Empires, these had not technically been legislative bodies, but rather advisory bodies on the model of theRoman Senate . France's first experience with an upper house was under the Directory from 1795 to 1799, when theCouncil of Ancients was the upper chamber. With the Restoration in 1814, a newChamber of Peers was created, on the model of the BritishHouse of Lords . At first it contained hereditary peers, but following theJuly Revolution of 1830, it became a body to which one was appointed for life. The Second Republic returned to a unicameral system after 1848, but soon after the establishment of theSecond French Empire in 1852, a Senate was established as the upper chamber. In the Fourth Republic, the Senate was renamed the Council of the Republic, but its function was largely the same. With the new constitution of the Fifth Republic in 1959, the older name of Senate was restored.The President of the Senate, in addition to his duties as presiding officer of the Upper House of parliament, is also, according to the constitution of the Fifth Republic, first in line of succession in case of death or resignation of the president, thus becoming Acting President of the Republic until a new election can be held.
Presidents of the Chamber of Peers, 1814-1848
Presidents of the Senate, 1852-1940
President Began Ended Jerome, prince Bonaparte 28 January 1852 30 November 1852 Raymond-Thioud butttttttttttteodore Troplong 30 December 1852 1 March 1869 Adrien Marie Devienne 3 March 1869 20 July 1869 Eugene Rouher 20 July 1869 4 September 1870 No Senate 1870 1876 Edmé-Armand-Gaston, Duc d'Audiffret-Pasquier 13 March 1876 15 January 1879 Louis Martel 15 January 1879 25 May 1880 Léon Say 25 May 1880 2 February 1882 Philippe Le Royer 2 February 1882 24 February 1893 Jules Ferry 24 February 1893 17 March 1893 Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour 27 March 1893 16 January 1896 Émile Loubet 16 January 1896 18 February 1899 Armand Fallières 3 March 1899 17 January 1906 Antonin Dubost 16 February 1906 14 January 1920 Léon Bourgeois 14 January 1920 22 February 1923 Gaston Doumergue 22 February 1923 13 June 1924 Justin de Selves 19 June 1924 9 January 1927 Paul Doumer 14 January 1927 13 May 1931 Albert Lebrun 11 June 1931 10 May 1932 Jules Jeanneney 3 June 1932 9 July 1940 Presidents of the Council of the Republic, 1946-1958
President Began Ended Auguste Champetier de Ribes 27 December 1946 6 March 1947 Gaston Monnerville 18 March 1947 4 October 1958 Presidents of the Senate, 1958-present
President Began Ended Gaston Monnerville 4 October 1958 2 October 1968 Alain Poher 2 October 1968 2 October 1992 René Monory 2 October 1992 1 October 1998 Christian Poncelet 1 October 1998 1 October 2008 Gérard Larcher 1 October 2008 present
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