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Political Context
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Population ~ 64 mil.
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3 times as dense as USA, only Canada and
Sweden in the course less densely populated
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85% Catholic with Muslims the second largest group
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President
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Broad Presidential Powers - esp. defense
and foreign policy
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President since 1995 Jacques Chirac,
Conservative
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Re-elected 2002
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1981-95 Francois Mitterand, Socialist
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2 chamber Parliament
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Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible to
National Assembly
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Dominique de Villepin is Prime Minister
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