Congress of the French Parliament

Historically, during the Third Republic, the reunion of both houses of the French Parliament — the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate — was called the National Assembly (Assemblée nationale) and gathered in Versailles to elect the President of France and to amend the Constitution.

The Congress is composed of senators and deputies who come together in the meeting hall (salle des séances) of the southern wing of the Château of Versailles.

Since the Constitutional revision of 2008, Article 18[1] states that the President "... may take the floor before Parliament convened in Congress for this purpose.

The previous presidential speech to France's parliament was in 1873, before lawmakers banned the practice to protect the separation of powers and keep the president in check.

[5] The meeting of the French Congress is the occasion for the creation of a temporary post office and a special cancellation mark.