# Title IV: Parliament
**Articles: 24-33**

## Core Idea
Parliament consists of two assemblies: the National Assembly and the Senate. The Constitution establishes a bicameral but asymmetrical system, with the National Assembly having primacy in legislative matters and the power to remove the Government. Parliament exercises legislative power and controls the Government.

## Frameworks Introduced

### Bicameral Composition (Article 24)
- **National Assembly**: Deputies elected by direct universal suffrage
- **Senate**: Senators elected by indirect suffrage
- **Representation**: Parliament shall ensure the representation of the French people and the territorial collectivities
- **Legislative Power**: Parliament shall exercise legislative power and control the action of the Government
- **Evaluation**: It shall evaluate public policies

### National Assembly
- **Election**: Direct universal suffrage, majority two-round system
- **Members**: 577 deputies
- **Term**: 5 years (unless dissolved)
- **Presidency**: President elected by Assembly, with vice-presidents

### Senate
- **Election**: Indirect suffrage by electoral college (local councilors, regional councilors, deputies, etc.)
- **Members**: 348 senators
- **Term**: 6 years, renewed by halves every 3 years
- **Presidency**: President elected by Senate

### Legislative Sessions (Article 28)
- **Ordinary Session**: Parliament shall meet of right in two ordinary sessions each year. First session begins on the first working day of October, second session on the first working day of April. Duration cannot exceed 120 days.
- **Extraordinary Sessions**: Extraordinary sessions shall be convoked by the Prime Minister, after consultation with the President of the National Assembly and the President of the Senate, on a specific agenda and for a period not exceeding twelve days. They shall be closed when the agenda so established has been exhausted
- **Parliamentary Autonomy**: The meeting of the two Assemblies, each in its place of session, is of right. Extraordinary sessions shall be closed when the agenda for which they were convoked has been exhausted

### Parliamentary Immunity (Articles 26, 27)
- **Freedom of Speech**: No member of Parliament may be prosecuted, investigated, arrested, detained, or tried for the opinions or votes cast by him in the exercise of his functions
- **Protection from Arrest**: No member of Parliament may be subjected to coercive measures in the course of judicial proceedings without the authorization of the Bureau of the Assembly of which he is a member
- **Detention**: No member of Parliament may be arrested in criminal or correctional matters without the authorization of the Bureau of the Assembly of which he is a member, except in cases of flagrante delicto
- **Suspension of Immunity**: Detention or prosecution of a member of Parliament shall be suspended if the Assembly of which he is a member so demands by a majority vote of its members

### Remuneration and Incompatibilities (Article 25)
- **Remuneration**: An organic act shall determine the remuneration for the offices held in the National Assembly and the Senate
- **Incompatibilities**: An organic act shall determine the cases of incompatibility with a parliamentary mandate
- **Purpose**: Prevents conflicts of interest

### Rules of Procedure (Article 33)
- **Autonomy**: Each Assembly shall determine its own rules of procedure
- **Voting**: Each Assembly may, by a vote on a specific motion, decide to adjourn to a date and time it shall itself fix
- **Publicity**: Meetings of both Assemblies shall be public
- **Minutes**: A full account of the debates of each Assembly shall be published in the Journal Officiel

## Mental Models
- Use **asymmetrical bicameralism** — National Assembly has primacy over Senate
- Think of **Government responsibility** — National Assembly can remove Government, Senate cannot
- Apply **parliamentary autonomy** — Each Assembly controls its own procedures
- Use **immunities as protection** — Ensures independence of legislators

## Anti-patterns
- **Senate primacy**: Senate cannot override National Assembly on legislative matters
- **Immunity abuse**: Immunity protects legislative functions, not criminal acts
- **Executive domination**: Government must respect parliamentary autonomy

## Key Takeaways
1. Parliament is bicameral: National Assembly (direct election) + Senate (indirect election)
2. National Assembly has primacy in legislative matters and Government control
3. Parliament has legislative power, Government control, and policy evaluation functions
4. Members enjoy immunities to ensure independent legislative functions
5. Each Assembly has autonomy in its internal organization

## Connects To
- **Title V (Relations)**: GovernmentParliament relations in law-making
- **Title II (President)**: President can dissolve National Assembly
- **Title III (Government)**: Government is responsible to Parliament