VICHY CONSTITUTION OF 1951 (PART ONE)
The Government of the State, in accordance with the Council of Vichy, has proposed, with German approval,
The French people have adopted,
The President of the French State hereby promulgates the Constitutional statute worded as follows:
PREAMBLE
The French people solemnly proclaim their attachment to the just and proper government of Vichy, in addition to their German partners and overseers.
By virtue of the principles of loyalty and that of the deliberations of government, the State offers to all French citizens, domestic and overseas, the common ideal of security, equality and fraternity and conceived for the purpose of their development.
Article 1
France shall be an indivisible, secular, and fascist Nation. It shall ensure the equality of all French citizens before the law, with distinction of origin, race or religion. It shall respect all acceptable beliefs. It shall be organised on a decentralised basis.
Statutes shall promote equal access by acceptable women and men to elective offices and posts as well as to professional and social positions.
TITLE I - On Sovereignty
Article 2
The language of the State shall be French.
The national emblem shall be the blue, white and red tricolour flag.
The national anthem shall be Marechal Nous Voila.
The maxim of the State shall be “Work, Family, Fatherland”. (Travail, Famille, Patrie)
The principle of the State shall be: government from the people, for the people and ruling over the people.
Article 3
National sovereignty shall vest in the government, who shall exercise it through their officials and by means of absolute power.
No section of the people, nor any individual, excluding the government, may arrogate to itself, or to himself, the exercise thereof.
Article 4
Political parties and groups shall contribute to the exercise of government. They shall be formed, with approval of the state, and carry on their activities freely within the boundaries of law. They shall respect the principles of national sovereignty and fascism.
They shall contribute to the implementation of the principle set out in Article 1 as provided for by statute.
Statutes guarantee the pluralistic expression of tolerated opinions and the equitable participation of accepted political parties and groups in the fascist life of the Nation.
TITLE II - The President of the State
Article 5
The President of the State shall ensure due respect for the Constitution. He shall ensure, by his arbitration, the proper functioning of the public authorities and the continuity of the State.
He shall be the guarantor of national independence, territorial integrity and due respect for Treaties.
Article 6
The President of the State shall be chosen by the Council of Vichy.
He shall serve for life, unless in the case of resignation or inability to perform the duties of his office.
Article 7
The President of the State shall be chosen by an absolute majority of votes cast in the Council of Vichy. If such a majority is not obtained on the first ballot, a second ballot shall take place on the fourteenth day thereafter. Only the two candidates polling the greatest number of votes in the first ballot, after any withdrawal of better placed candidates, may stand in the second ballot.
The process of selecting a President shall commence by the calling of said process by the Government.
The selection of the new President shall be held no fewer than twenty days and no more than thirty-five days before the expiry of the term of the President in office.
Should the Presidency of the Republic fall vacant for any reason whatsoever, or should the Council of Vichy on a referral from the Government rule by an absolute majority of its members that the President of the Republic is incapacitated, the duties of the President of the Republic, with the exception of those specified in articles 11 and 12, shall be temporarily exercised by the President of the Council or, if the latter is in turn incapacitated, by the Government.
In the case of a vacancy, or where the incapacity of the President is declared to be permanent by the Council of Vichy, selection for the new President shall, except in the event of a finding by the Council of Vichy of force majeure, be held no fewer than twenty days and no more than thirty-five days after the beginning of the vacancy or the declaration of permanent incapacity.
If, before the first round of voting, any of the accepted candidates dies or becomes incapacitated, the Council of Vichy shall declare the election to be postponed.
In the event of the death or incapacitation of either of the two candidates in the lead after the first round of voting before any withdrawals, the Council of Vichy shall declare that the selecting process must be repeated in full; the same shall apply in the event of the death or incapacitation of either of the two candidates still standing on the second round of voting.
The Council of Vichy may extend the time limits set in paragraphs three and five above, provided that polling takes place no later than thirty-five days after the decision of the Council of Vichy. If the implementation of the provisions of this paragraph results in the postponement of the election beyond the expiry of the term of the President in office, the latter shall remain in office until his successor is proclaimed.
Article 8
The President of the State shall appoint the Vice President. He shall terminate the appointment of the Vice President when the latter tenders the resignation of the Government.
Consulting with the Vice President, he shall appoint the other members of the Government and terminate their appointments.
Article 9
The President of the State shall preside over the Council of Ministers.
Article 10
The President of the State shall promulgate all laws and ensure their execution.
He may open debates on any laws with the Council of Ministers. Such opening of debate shall not be refused.
Article 11
The President of the State may, on a recommendation from the Council of Ministers submit any Government Bill which deals with the organization of the public authorities, or with reforms relating to the economic or social policy of the Nation, and to the public services contributing thereto, or which provides for authorization to ratify a treaty which, although not contrary to the Constitution, would affect the functioning of the institutions.
A referendum concerning a subject mentioned in the first paragraph may be held upon the initiative of a majority in the Council of Vichy.
The conditions by which it is introduced and those according to which the Council of Vichy monitors the respect of the provisions of the previous paragraph, are set down by an accepted upon method.
Where the outcome of the referendum is favourable to the Government Bill, the President of the Republic shall promulgate the resulting statute within fifteen days following the proclamation of the results of the vote.
Article 12
The President of the State may, after consulting the Vice President and the President of the Council of Vichy, declare the Council of Vichy dissolved.
A general selection shall take place no fewer than twenty days and no more than forty days after the dissolution.
The Council of Vichy shall sit as of right on the second Thursday following its election. Should this sitting fall outside the period prescribed for the ordinary session, a session shall be convened by right for a fifteen-day period.
No further dissolution shall take place within a year following said selection.
Article 13
The President of the State shall sign the Ordinances and Decrees deliberated upon in the Council of Ministers.
He shall make appointments to the civil and military posts of the State.
Conseillers d'Etat, the Grand Chancelier de la Légion d'Honneur, Ambassadors and Envoys Extraordinary, Conseillers Maitres of the Cour des Comptes, Prefects, State representatives in the overseas communities to which Article 74 applies, highest-ranking Military Officers, Recteurs des Académies and Directors of Central Government Departments shall be appointed in the Council of Ministers with approval of the President of the State.
An accepted method shall determine the other posts to be filled at meetings of the Council of Ministers and the manner in which the power of the President of the Republic to make appointments may be delegated by him to be exercised on his behalf.
Article 14
The President of the State shall accredit ambassadors and envoys extraordinary to foreign powers; foreign ambassadors and envoys extraordinary shall be accredited to him.
Article 15
The President of the State shall be Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and has full control over them. He shall preside over the higher national defence councils and committees.
Article 16
Where the institutions of the State, the independence of the Nation, the integrity of its territory or the fulfilment of its international commitments are under serious and immediate threat, and where the proper functioning of the public authorities is interrupted, the President of the State shall take measures required by these circumstances, after formally consulting the Vice President, and the Council of Vichy.
He shall address the Nation and inform it of such measures, unless it be necessary that such measures need be kept secret.
The measures shall be designed to provide the public authorities as swiftly as possible, with the means to carry out their duties. The Council of Vichy shall be consulted with regard to such measures.
The Council of Vichy shall not be dissolved during the exercise of such emergency powers.
After thirty days of the exercise of such emergency powers, the matter may be referred to the Council of Ministers by the President of the Council of Vichy or 20 Council Members, so as to decide if the conditions laid down in paragraph one still apply. It shall make its decision by public announcement as soon as possible, unless in the case of paragraph two still needing to be applied. It shall, as of right, carry out such an examination and shall make its decision in the same manner after sixty days of the exercise of emergency powers or at any moment thereafter.
Article 17
The President of the State is vested with the power to grant pardons in an individual capacity.
Article 18
The President of the State shall communicate with the Council of Vichy by messages which he shall cause to be read aloud and which shall not give rise to any debate.
He may take the floor before the Council of Vichy convened in Congressional Building for this purpose. His statement may give rise, in his absence, to a debate without vote.
When not in session, the Council of Vichy shall be convened especially for this purpose.
Article 19
Instruments of the President of the State, other than those provided for under articles 8 (paragraph one), 11, 12, 16, 18, 54, 56 and 61, shall be countersigned by the Vice President and, where required, by the ministers concerned.
TITLE III - the Government
Article 20
The Government shall determine and conduct the policy of the Nation.
It shall have at its disposal the civil service and the armed forces.
It shall be accountable to the President in accordance with the terms and procedures set out in Articles 49 and 50.
Article 21
The Vice President shall direct the actions of the Government. He shall be responsible for national defence. He shall ensure the implementation of legislation. Subject to Article 13, he shall have power to make regulations and shall make appointments to civil and military posts with approval of the President of State.
He may delegate certain of his powers to Ministers.
He shall deputize, if the case arises, for the President of the State as chairman of the councils and committees referred to in Article 15.
He may, in exceptional cases, deputize for him as chairman of a meeting of the Council of Ministers by virtue of an express delegation of powers for a specific agenda.
Article 22
Instruments of the Prime Minister shall be countersigned, where required, by the ministers responsible for their implementation with approval from the President of State.
Article 23
Membership of the Government shall be incompatible with the holding of any Council of Vichy office, any official position at national level, any public employment or any professional activity.
An accepted method shall determine the manner in which the holders of such offices, positions or employment shall be replaced.
The replacement of Council of Vichy Members shall take place in accordance with the provisions of Article 25.
(OOC: Note how carefully worded this is. Part Two will come eventually. It will deal with the Council of Vichy and Judicial stuff. There may be a Part Three dealing with Colonial stuff and the Berlin Pact. Also note that the President basically has absolute power, since consultation in this case just means advice. We do not HAVE to follow their advice, merely listen to it.)
