Politics of French Polynesia takes place in a framework of a

parliamentary A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

representative democratic French

overseas collectivity The French overseas collectivities (''collectivité d'outre-mer'' or ''COM'') are first-order administrative divisions of France, like the French regions, but have a semi-autonomous status. The COMs include some former French overseas colonies ...

, whereby the President of French Polynesia is the

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...

, and of a

multi-party system In political science, a multi-party system is a political system in which multiple political parties across the political spectrum run for national elections, and all have the capacity to gain control of government offices, separately or in ...

Executive power The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems b ...

is exercised by the government.

Legislative power A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known a ...

is vested in both the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

and the

Assembly of French Polynesia The Assembly of French Polynesia (french: Assemblée de la Polynésie française, Tahitian: Te apo'ora'a rahi o te fenua Mā'ohi) is the unicameral legislature of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic. It is located at Plac ...

. Between 1946 and 2003, French Polynesia had the status of an overseas territory ( French: ''

territoire d'outre-mer The term overseas territory (french: territoire d'outre-mer or TOM) is an administrative division of France and is currently only applied to the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. The division differs from that of overseas department and ...

'', or ''TOM''). In 2003 it became an overseas collectivity ( French: ''

collectivité d'outre-mer The French overseas collectivities ('' collectivité d'outre-mer'' or ''COM'') are first-order administrative divisions of France, like the French regions, but have a semi-autonomous status. The COMs include some former French overseas colon ...

'', or COM). Its statutory law of 27 February 2004 gives it the particular designation of "overseas country" to underline the large autonomy of the territory.

Executive branch

, High Commissioner ,

Dominique Sorain Dominique Sorain (born 31 July 1955 in Caudéran, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the A ...

, ''Non-Partisan'' , 10 July 2019 , - ,

President of French Polynesia , flag = , flagsize = , flagcaption = , insignia = Coat of arms of French Polynesia.svg , insigniasize = , insigniacaption = Coat of arms of French ...

Édouard Fritch Winfred Édouard Tereori Fritch (born 4 January 1952) is a French politician who has served as President of French Polynesia since 2014. He previously presided over the Assembly of French Polynesia on three occasions: from April 2007 to February ...

Tapura Huiraatira ''Tapura'' is a genus of plant in family Dichapetalaceae.Stephens, P.F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/ Species include: * ''Tapura africana'' Oliv. * ''Tapura arach ...

, 18 mai 2018 , - , President of the Assembly ,

Gaston Tong Sang Gaston Tong Sang (born August 7, 1949 in Bora Bora) is a French politician and is the former President of French Polynesia. He served terms as President of French Polynesia from November 2009 until April 2011, from April 2008 until February 2009 ...

, 17 mai 2018 The

President of the French Republic The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is ...

is represented by the

High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia The High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia (french: Haut-Commissaire de la République en Polynésie française) is the highest representative of the French Republic in the overseas country of French Polynesia. The rank is equival ...

(''Haut-Commissaire de la République en Polynésie française''). The government is headed by the President of French Polynesia. He submits as

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

a list of members of the Territorial Assembly, the

(''Assemblée de la Polynésie française''), for approval by them to serve as ministers.

Legislative branch

French Polynesia elects the

(''Assemblée de la Polynésie française''), the

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multi ...

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

on the territorial level. The Assembly of French Polynesia has 57 members, elected for a five-year term by

proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...

in multi-seat

constituencies An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

. Since the territorial elections of March 6, 2001, the parity bill now binds that the number of women matches the number of men at the Assembly.

Political parties and elections

The members of the

are elected in 6 different electoral districts or electoral circumscriptions (french: circonscriptions électorales) which slightly differ from the administrative subdivisions (''subdivisions administratives'') on the

Tuamotus The Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands (french: Îles Tuamotu, officially ) are a French Polynesian chain of just under 80 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. They constitute the largest chain of atolls in the world, extendin ...

and the

Gambier Islands The Gambier Islands ( or ) are an archipelago in French Polynesia, located at the southeast terminus of the Tuamotu archipelago. They cover an area of , and are made up of the Mangareva Islands, a group of high islands remnants of a caldera a ...

. The 6 electoral circumscriptions (''circonscriptions électorales'') are: * electoral circumscription of the

Windward Islands french: Îles du Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean Sea No ...

(''circonscription des Îles du Vent'') (37 members) * electoral circumscription of the Leeward Islands (''circonscription des Îles Sous-le-Vent'') (8 members) * electoral circumscription of the

Austral Islands The Austral Islands (french: Îles Australes, officially ''Archipel des Australes;'' ty, Tuha'a Pae) are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic in the South Pacific. Geographically ...

(''circonscription des Îles Australes'') (3 members) * electoral circumscription of the Gambier Islands and the Islands Tuamotu-East (''circonscription des Îles Gambier et Tuamotu Est'') (3 members) * electoral circumscription of the Islands Tuamotu-West (''circonscription des Îles Tuamotu Ouest'') (3 members) * electoral circumscription of the

Marquesas Islands The Marquesas Islands (; french: Îles Marquises or ' or '; Marquesan: ' ( North Marquesan) and ' ( South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in ...

(''circonscription des Îles Marquises'') (3 members)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif.

Administrative divisions

French Polynesia has 5 administrative subdivisions (french: subdivisions administratives): *

(french: Îles du Vent or officially ''subdivision administrative des Îles du Vent'') (the two ''subdivisions administratives''

and Leeward Islands are part of the

Society Islands The Society Islands (french: Îles de la Société, officially ''Archipel de la Société;'' ty, Tōtaiete mā) are an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the ...

) * Leeward Islands (french: Îles Sous-le-Vent or officially ''subdivision administrative des Îles Sous-le-Vent'') (the two ''subdivisions administratives''

and Leeward Islands are part of the

) *

(french: (Îles) Marquises or officially ''subdivision administrative des (Îles) Marquises'') *

(french: (Îles) Australes or officially ''subdivision administrative des (Îles) Australes'') (including the

Bass Islands The Bass Islands are three American islands in the western half of Lake Erie. They are north of Sandusky, Ohio, and south of Pelee Island, Ontario. South Bass Island () is the largest of the islands, followed closely by North Bass Island () ...

) * Tuamotu-Gambier (french: (Îles) Tuamotu-Gambier or officially ''subdivision administrative des (Îles) Tuamotu-Gambier'') (the

and the

) ''note:''

Clipperton Island Clipperton Island ( or ; ) is an uninhabited, coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is from Paris, France, from Papeete, Tahiti, and from Mexico. It is an overseas state private property of France under direct authority of the Minis ...

(french: Île de Clipperton), just off the coast of Mexico, was administered by France from French Polynesia.

International organization participation

ESCAP The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to increase economic ...

(associate), FZ,

ITUC The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); german: Internationaler Gewerkschaftsbund (IGB), link=no; es, Confederación Sindical Internacional (CSI), link=no. is the world's largest trade union federation. History The federation w ...

, SPC, WMO

References

External links

francepolitique.free.fr

CIA World Factbook – French Polynesia
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of French Polynesia

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Political parties and elections

Judicial branch

Administrative divisions

International organization participation

See also

References

External links