2000 French constitutional referendum

A constitutional referendum was held in France on 24 September 2000.[1] The proposal to reduce the mandate of the President from seven years to five years was approved by 73.2% of those who voted, but turnout was just 30.2%.[2]

2000 French constitutional referendum
24 September 2000 (2000-09-24)
Reduce the term of the President from seven years to five years.
Results
Choice
 Votes  %
Yes 7,407,697 73.21%
No 2,710,651 26.79%
Valid votes 10,118,348 83.91%
Invalid or blank votes 1,940,340 16.09%
Total votes 12,058,688 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 39,941,192 30.19%
Results by department
Politics of France
Constitutions
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Administrative divisions
Elections
Foreign relations
Related topics

Background

The idea of a five-year term was discussed during the French parliamentary session of 1848, but rejected in favor of a four-year term. A seven-year term was adopted in 1873 for what became the Third Republic. In 2000, Jacques Chirac led the campaign for the referendum reducing the President's term from seven to five years. After he was re-elected in 2002, his term ended in 2007 rather than 2009. The aim of the quinquennat (five-year term) was for the legislative elections to follow the presidential election (as the presidential election took place in April–May 2007, while the legislative election took place in June), providing similar electoral results and reducing the risk of cohabitation.

Results
Choice Metropolitan France Total
Votes % Votes %
For7,372,97673.27,407,69773.2
Against2,703,65726.82,710,65126.8
Invalid/blank votes1,939,282–1,940,340–
Total12,015,91510012,058,688100
Registered voters/turnout39,631,06330.339,941,19230.2
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

See also

References
  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p674 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Nohlen & Stöver, p687
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