Editing President of France (section)

===Detailed constitutional powers===
The constitutional attributions of the president are defined in Title II of the [[Constitution of France]].

'''Article 5''': The president of the republic shall see that the Constitution is observed. He shall ensure, by his arbitration, the proper functioning of the public authorities and the continuity of the State. He shall be the guarantor of national independence, territorial integrity and observance of treaties.

'''Article 8''': The president of the republic shall appoint the prime minister. He shall terminate the appointment of the prime minister when the latter tenders the resignation of the Government. On the proposal of the prime minister, he shall appoint the other members of the Government and terminate their appointments.

'''Article 9''': The president of the republic shall preside over the Council of Ministers.

'''Article 10:''' The president of the republic shall promulgate acts of parliament within fifteen days following the final adoption of an act and its transmission to the Government. He may, before the expiry of this time limit, ask Parliament to reconsider the act or sections of the Act. Reconsideration shall not be refused. ''While the President has to sign all acts adopted by parliament into law, he cannot refuse to do so and exercise a kind of right of veto; his only power in that matter is to ask for a single reconsideration of the law by parliament and this power is subject to countersigning by the Prime minister.''

'''Article 11:''' The president could submit laws to the people in a referendum with advice and consent of the cabinet.

'''Article 12''': The president of the republic may, after consulting the prime minister and the presidents of the assemblies, declare the National Assembly dissolved. A general election shall take place not less than twenty days and not more than forty days after the dissolution. The National Assembly shall convene as of right on the second Thursday following its election. Should it so convene outside the period prescribed for the ordinary session, a session shall be called by right for a fifteen-day period. No further dissolution shall take place within a year following this election.

'''Article 13:''' The president of the republic shall sign the [[ordonnance|ordinances]] and [[decree#France|decrees]] deliberated upon in the Council of Ministers. He shall make appointments to the civil and military posts of the State. [...]

'''Article 14''': The president of the republic shall accredit [[ambassador]]s and envoys extraordinary to foreign powers; foreign [[ambassador]]s and envoys extraordinary shall be accredited to him.

'''Article 15''': The president of the republic shall be commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He shall preside over the higher national defence councils and committees.

'''Article 16''': Where the institutions of the republic, the independence of the nation, the integrity of its territory or the fulfilment of its international commitments are under serious and immediate threat, and where the proper functioning of the constitutional public authorities is interrupted, the president of the republic shall take the measures required by these circumstances, after formally consulting the prime minister, the presidents of the assemblies and the Constitutional Council. He shall inform the nation of these measures in a message. The measures must stem from the desire to provide the constitutional public authorities, in the shortest possible time, with the means to carry out their duties. The Constitutional Council shall be consulted with regard to such measures. Parliament shall convene as of right. The National Assembly shall not be dissolved during the exercise of the emergency powers.

'''''Article 16''', allowing the president a limited form of [[rule by decree]] for a limited period of time in exceptional circumstance, has been used only once, by [[Charles de Gaulle]] during the [[Algerian War]], from 23 April to 29 September 1961.''

'''Article 17''': The president of the republic has the right to grant pardon.

'''Article 18''': The president of the republic shall communicate with the two assemblies of Parliament by means of messages, which he shall cause to be read and which shall not be the occasion for any debate. He can also give an address in front of the [[Congress of the French Parliament|Congress of France]] in Versailles. Outside sessions, Parliament shall be convened especially for this purpose.<ref>From 1875 to 2008, the President was prohibited from entering the houses of Parliament.</ref>

'''Article 19''': Acts of the president of the republic, other than those provided for under articles 8 (first paragraph), 11, 12, 16, 18, 54, 56 and 61, shall be countersigned by the prime minister and, where required, by the appropriate ministers.