The government and elections

Le gouvernement et les élections

Get to know the basic government institutions of the country.
Talk about elections and voting.

Explorez les institutions gouvernementales françaises comme le Président, le Premier ministre et le Parlement, et apprenez le vocabulaire clé autour des élections présidentielles, tels que « voter », « suffrage universel » et « campagne ».

Vocabulary (18)

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Construire

To build Show

La révolution

The revolution Show

La mairie

The town hall Show

L'administration

The administration Show

Le citoyen

The citizen Show

La candidat

The candidate Show

Le maire

The mayor Show

Le président

The president Show

Le ministre

The minister Show

La politique

Politics Show

La loi

The law Show

Sérieux

Serious Show

Voter

To vote Show

Gouverner

To govern Show

Le parti politique

The political party Show

L'Union Européenne

The european union Show

La campagne présidentielle

The presidential campaign Show

Le Parlement

The parliament Show

Exercises

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These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.

Exercice 1: Conversation exercise

Instruction:

What government does your country have? (What government does your country have?)
Does there exist a royal family in your country? (Does there exist a royal family in your country?)
Did you go to the army? (Did you go to the army?)
When are the elections? (When are the elections?)

Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes

Example phrases:

Le 7 juillet, nous avons voté pour un nouveau président et un nouveau gouvernement.

The 7th of july we voted for a new president and government.

Le roi est le chef de l'État.

The king is the head of the state.

Le dernier gouvernement était composé de 3 partis politiques.

The last government consisted out of 3 political parties.

Le gouvernement est contrôlé par le parlement et les juges.

The government is controlled by the parliament and judges.

J'ai dû aller à l'armée tout comme tous mes amis.

I had to go to the army just like all my friends.

Je ne suis pas allé à l'armée mais j'ai travaillé dans une organisation sociale pendant un an à la place.

I did not go to the army but I worked in a social organisation for a year instead.

Le Premier ministre a changé depuis les dernières élections.

The prime minister changed since the last elections.

...

Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards

Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.

Discuter des institutions gouvernementales

Example 1

Quelles sont les principales institutions du gouvernement en France ?

What are the main institutions of the government in France?

Le gouvernement comprend le Président, le Premier ministre et le Parlement.

The government includes the President, the Prime Minister, and the Parliament.

Le Parlement est composé de deux chambres : l’Assemblée nationale et le Sénat.

The Parliament is made up of two chambers: the National Assembly and the Senate.

Le Président est le chef de l’État ; il nomme le Premier ministre.

The President is the head of state; he appoints the Prime Minister.

Le Premier ministre dirige le gouvernement et les ministres.

The Prime Minister leads the government and the ministers.

C’est important de comprendre ces rôles pour suivre la politique.

It is important to understand these roles to follow politics.

Example 2

Tu connais le rôle du Sénat ?

Do you know the role of the Senate?

Oui, il représente les territoires et vote les lois avec l’Assemblée nationale.

Yes, it represents the territories and votes on laws with the National Assembly.

Exactement. Et le Président, il est élu par le peuple, non ?

Exactly. And the President, he is elected by the people, right?

Oui, il est élu au suffrage universel direct pour cinq ans.

Yes, he is elected by direct universal suffrage for five years.

Le Premier ministre, lui, est nommé par le Président.

The Prime Minister, for his part, is appointed by the President.

Cela montre comment les pouvoirs sont partagés en France.

This shows how powers are shared in France.

Parler des élections présidentielles

Example 1

Les élections présidentielles ont lieu tous les cinq ans.

Presidential elections take place every five years.

Les candidats font campagne pour convaincre les électeurs.

Candidates campaign to convince voters.

Il y a souvent deux tours si aucun candidat n’a la majorité au premier tour.

There are often two rounds if no candidate has the majority in the first round.

Au second tour, les deux meilleurs candidats s’affrontent.

In the second round, the two best candidates face each other.

Les citoyens votent pour leur candidat préféré.

Citizens vote for their preferred candidate.

C’est un moment important pour la démocratie française.

It is an important moment for French democracy.

Example 2

Comment vote-t-on aux élections présidentielles ?

How do people vote in presidential elections?

On se rend dans un bureau de vote avec une pièce d’identité.

You go to a polling station with an ID card.

On reçoit un bulletin de vote avec les noms des candidats.

You receive a ballot with the candidates' names.

On choisit son candidat en mettant le bulletin dans l’urne.

You choose your candidate by putting the ballot in the box.

Si aucun candidat n’a plus de 50 %, il y a un second tour.

If no candidate gets more than 50%, there is a second round.

C’est un processus clair et sécurisé.

It is a clear and secure process.

Exprimer son opinion sur le vote

Example 1

Tu vas voter aux prochaines élections ?

Are you going to vote in the next elections?

Oui, parce que c’est un devoir civique important.

Yes, because it is an important civic duty.

Moi, parfois je doute, je trouve les candidats un peu similaires.

Sometimes I doubt, I find the candidates a bit similar.

Pourtant, chaque vote compte pour changer les choses.

Yet, every vote counts to change things.

C’est vrai, et c’est aussi un moyen de participer à la vie du pays.

That's true, and it is also a way to participate in the country's life.

Alors, tu as décidé pour qui voter ?

So, have you decided who to vote for?

Pas encore, mais je regarde les programmes attentivement.

Not yet, but I am looking at the platforms carefully.

Example 2

Penses-tu que voter influence vraiment le gouvernement ?

Do you think voting really influences the government?

Oui, parce que le gouvernement est élu par le peuple.

Yes, because the government is elected by the people.

Je comprends, mais certains disent que ça ne change pas grand-chose.

I understand, but some say it doesn't change much.

C’est pour ça qu’il faut bien choisir son candidat.

That's why you have to choose your candidate well.

Voter est aussi un signe pour montrer ses idées.

Voting is also a way to show your ideas.

Même si on n’est pas complètement satisfait, c’est mieux que de ne pas voter.

Even if you are not completely satisfied, it is better than not voting.

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Tous les citoyens __________ de la campagne présidentielle l'année dernière.

2. Le maire __________ toujours avec sérieux aux élections municipales.

3. Nous __________ souvent de la politique locale pendant les réunions.

4. Les candidats __________ pour élire le président du parti politique.

Exercise 4: An election campaign in the city

Instruction:

L'année dernière, je (Parler - Imparfait) souvent avec mes collègues de la prochaine campagne présidentielle. Nous (Voter - Imparfait) toujours avec sérieux car nous savions que chaque voix comptait. Mon ami Paul, qui (Parler - Imparfait) pour un parti politique local, voulait construire une nouvelle mairie pour mieux servir les citoyens. Le maire actuel, quand il (Parler - Imparfait) , expliquait comment il gouvernait la ville avant les élections. Nous (Voter - Imparfait) aussi en famille pour montrer l'exemple à nos enfants et participer à la démocratie.

Last year, I was speaking often with my colleagues about the upcoming presidential campaign. We were voting always seriously because we knew that every vote counted. My friend Paul, who was speaking for a local political party, wanted to build a new town hall to better serve the citizens. The current mayor, when he was speaking , explained how he governed the city before the elections. We were voting also as a family to set an example for our children and participate in democracy.

Verb Tables

Parler - To speak

Imparfait

je parlais
tu parlais
il/elle parlait
nous parlions
vous parliez
ils/elles parlaient

Voter - To vote

Imparfait

je votais
tu votais
il/elle votait
nous votions
vous votiez
ils/elles votaient

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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson

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Parler to speak Share Copied!

imparfait

French	English
(je/j') parlais	I was speaking
(tu) parlais	you were speaking
(il/elle/on) parlait	he/she/one was speaking
(nous) parlions	we were speaking
(vous) parliez	You were speaking
(ils/elles) parlaient	they spoke

Exercises and examples phrases

Voter to vote Share Copied!

imparfait

French	English
(je/j') votais	I was voting
(tu) votais	you were voting
(il/elle/on) votait	he/she/one was voting
(nous) votions	we were voting
(vous) votiez	you were voting
(ils/elles) votaient	they were voting

Exercises and examples phrases

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Lesson Overview: The Government and Elections in France

This A2-level lesson explores the basic structure of the French government, how elections are organized, and how to express opinions about voting. It focuses on everyday vocabulary, functional expressions, and simple verb tenses related to political topics, ideal for learners gaining confidence with French civic conversation.

Key Topics Covered

Institutions of the French government: Learn about the President, Prime Minister, and Parliament, including the two chambers: the National Assembly and the Senate.
Presidential elections: Understand how elections occur every five years, the two-round process, campaigning, and voting procedures.
Expressing opinions: Practice giving reasons for voting or abstaining, and discussing the influence of voting on government.

Important Vocabulary and Expressions

Students will encounter and use essential terms like:

le Président (the President)
le Premier ministre (the Prime Minister)
le Parlement (the Parliament)
l’Assemblée nationale (the National Assembly)
le Sénat (the Senate)
les élections présidentielles (presidential elections)
le suffrage universel direct (direct universal suffrage)
voter (to vote)
la campagne (campaign)

Grammar Focus: Imparfait Tense

This lesson emphasizes the imparfait tense for describing past recurring actions or states, especially in political contexts. For example:

parler (to talk) conjugated as je parlais, tu parlais, il parlait, nous parlions, vous parliez, ils parlaient
voter (to vote) conjugated as je votais, tu votais, il votait, nous votions, vous votiez, ils votaient

These forms appear in dialogues and a mini-story to practice understanding and usage.

Differences and Useful Equivalents

Unlike English, French has a clear distinction between the President (le Président) as head of state, and the Prime Minister (le Premier ministre) as head of government. The French President is elected by direct universal suffrage, a concept that translates well as "direct popular vote." The French Senate (le Sénat) represents territorial interests, somewhat similar to the US Senate’s role but functioning differently within the parliamentary system.

Some useful phrases to note include:

"Le Président est élu au suffrage universel direct" — "The President is elected by direct universal suffrage"
"Le Premier ministre est nommé par le Président" — "The Prime Minister is appointed by the President"
"C’est un devoir civique important" — "It is an important civic duty"
"Chaque vote compte" — "Every vote counts"

Learning these expressions helps understand French political discourse and compare it to English equivalents.

Vocabulary (18)

Student worksheet

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