National Assembly - ter

This is the third and last (promise!) post about my recent visit to the National Assembly. What I felt remained to be shown are some photos from the different reception rooms.

You already saw a number of chandeliers in the first Assembly post (two days ago) and they are of course an important part of the decoration in these and also in other rooms. You will somehow see some of them again; you cannot avoid them – they are everywhere!

These photos are from the Assembly President’s residence, Hôtel Lassay, used for receptions, and also from the “Salle des Fêtes”, which connects to the more operative Hôtel Bourbon.Most of these pictures can be found on my other blog, “Peter – photos”.

National Assembly - bis

As said yesterday, I’m reverting to the National Assembly and will today talk about the “working space”.

After all, the 577 deputies, elected for five years, are there to work. Normally the yearly session lasts 120 days (October – June), but in reality it’s often prolonged. (You can read August 2 on one of my pictures; that was the last session before summer holidays. The new session started yesterday.)

The deputies represent as well the nation as their circumscription - in average some 10 thousand habitants. They have their public sessions, but each deputy is also member of at least one commission.

Their common working space includes of course the “hemicycle” for the public sessions and it’s also the place where the voting takes place. The “hemicycle” got its present form and decoration in 1832; only a few details are older, including the podium for the President of the Assembly (or his / her deputy). There are also separate meeting rooms and a number of corners where the deputies can work, have their more informal discussions, have a drink...

You find also working desks in the Library which was added in 1837. The ceiling paintings are by Delacroix.

Last episode tomorrow!

National Assembly

In yesterday’s post I referred to the “Heritage Days”, involving open doors to many public buildings, and a visit I made to our National Assembly. I took many photos and I know that I often present too much in my posts. I believe that this time I will therefore split my post in three, hopefully making it a bit more digest.

I had not the intention to make a presentation of the French parliamentary system; for that you must go to other sources, but… maybe a few words: The French Parliament comprises the National Assembly and the Senate. The deputies of the National Assembly are elected by direct, the Senate by indirect suffrage. Normally new bills must be decided by both, but if after different procedures there is still no common understanding, the final vote is normally given to the National Assembly. Certain constitutional modifications would need a common decision by the two bodies. The Assembly has 577 members. The Assembly can dismiss the Government.

The National Assembly, created in 1791, sits in the Palais Bourbon since 1798. The palace is from 1728 and was originally built for the Duchess of Bourbon, daughter of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan. It has of course been modified several times. A second connected building, the Hôtel Lassay, was built at the same time and serves today as residence to the President of the Assembly and for different receptions. You can find these buildings within the red pentagon on the map.

Of course the visit started by queuing up, but it took less than an hour to get in. Some of us had the privilege to get say hello to the President of the Assembly (considered as number four in the French hierarchy). The organisation was perfect, I have never seen the sky so blue over Paris, everybody was in a good mood…!Today I will just show you what it all looks like from the outside, the gardens… and also a first look at the inside; some of the chandeliers. I suppose they must have a favourable tariff for electricity! Tomorrow I will show you something of the more official “working space” and then at last some of the magnificent reception rooms. When I have finished with the Assembly, I will put some originals on my other blog, “Peter – photos”.