View source for Politics of French Guiana

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{{Politics of French Guiana}}

[[French Guiana]] is not a separate territory but is both an overseas [[region of France|région]] and overseas [[Departments of France|department]] of [[France]], with the same government institutions as areas on the French mainland. The administrative center is [[Cayenne]].

The President of France appoints a [[Prefect (France)|prefect]] (resident at the [[French Guiana Prefecture Building|prefecture building]] in Cayenne) as his representative to head the local government of French Guiana. The Assembly of French Guiana replaced the [[General Council of French Guiana|General Council]] and the [[Regional Council of French Guiana|Regional Council]] in 2016.

As of 2020 the [[prefect]] is [[Thierry Queffelec]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guyane.gouv.fr/Actualites/Salle-de-presse/2020/Decembre-2020/Thierry-QUEFFELEC-Nouveau-prefet-de-la-region-Guyane |title=Thierry QUEFFELEC - Nouveau préfet de la région Guyane|website=Government of French Guiana|access-date=17 April 2021|language=fr}}</ref> The President of the Guianese Assembly since 2021 is [[Gabriel Serville]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/qui-est-gabriel-serville-le-nouveau-president-de-la-collectivite-territoriale-de-guyane-1046722.html |title=Qui est Gabriel Serville, le nouveau président de la Collectivité territoriale de Guyane ? |website=France TV Info|access-date=8 December 2021|language=fr}}</ref>

==Key issues and  players==
Politics in French Guiana are dominated by the [[Guianese Socialist Party]], which has a close association with the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] in mainland France.

A chronic issue affecting French Guiana is the influx of illegal immigrants and clandestine [[gold prospecting|gold prospectors]] from [[Brazil]] and [[Suriname]]. The border between the department and [[Suriname]] is formed by the [[Maroni River]], which flows through rain forest and is difficult for the [[Gendarmerie Nationale (France)|Gendarmerie]] and the [[French Foreign Legion]] to patrol.

There have been several phases launched by the French government to combat illegal gold mining in French Guiana, beginning with Operation Anaconda beginning in 2003, followed by Operation Harpie in 2008, 2009 and Operation Harpie Reinforce in 2010. Colonel François Müller, the commander of French Guiana's gendarme, believes these operations have been successful. However, after each operation ends, Brazilian miners, known as [[garimpeiros]], return.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://untoldstories.pulitzercenter.org/2010/04/french-guiana-interview-with-colonel-francois-muller-commander-of-the-gendarmes.html#more| title = untoldstories.pulitzercenter.org}}</ref> Soon after Operation Harpie Reinforce began, an altercation took place between French authorities and Brazilian miners. On March 12, 2010, a team of French soldiers and border police were attacked while returning from a successful operation, during which "the soldiers had arrested 15 miners, confiscated three boats, and seized 617 grams of gold... currently worth about $22,317". Garimpeiros returned to retrieve the lost loot and colleagues. "The soldiers fired warning shots and rubber "flash balls" but the miners managed to retake one of their boats and about 500&nbsp;grammes of gold. "The violent reaction by the garimpeiros can be explained by the exceptional take of 617 grammes of gold, about 20 percent of the quantity seized in 2009 during the battle against [[illegal mining]]", said Phillipe Duporge, the director of French Guiana's border police, at a press conference the next day."<ref>{{cite web| url = http://untoldstories.pulitzercenter.org/2010/03/french-guiana-welcome-to-the-jungle.html#more| title = untoldstories.pulitzercenter.org}}</ref>

==General Council of French Guiana==
{{main article|General Council of French Guiana}}
The [[General Council of French Guiana]] is the deliberative [[Executive (government)|executive]] assembly and is composed of 19 members who are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms. It is led by the [[President of the General Council of French Guiana]].

===Composition===

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!colspan=2| Party || seats
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Miscellaneous Left}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|Miscellaneous Left ||align="right"| 7
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Socialist Party (France)}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[Guianese Socialist Party]] ||align="right"| 3
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Independent politician}}" |
|[[Independent politician|Independents]] ||align="right"| 3
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Miscellaneous Right}}" |
|Miscellaneous Right ||align="right"| 3
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}" |
|[[Union for a Popular Movement]] ||align="right"| 3
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Left Radical Party}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[Walwari]] ||align="right"| 1
|-
|}

==Regional Council of Guiana==
{{Main article|Regional Council of French Guiana}}
[[File:Salle de délibération du conseil régional (Cayenne).jpg|thumb|right|260px|The interior chamber of the Regional Council.]]
The [[Regional Council of French Guiana]] is the elected [[Regional Council (France)|assembly or regional council]] and is composed of 31 members who are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms.

===Composition===

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!colspan=2| Party || seats
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Socialist Party (France)}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[Guianese Socialist Party]] ||align="right"| 29
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}" |
|[[Union for a Popular Movement]] ||align="right"| 7
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Left Radical Party}}" |
|[[Walwari]] ||align="right"| 7
|-
|}

==Parliamentary representation==

Guiana elects two senators to the [[French Senate]]. The first woman to be elected to the Senate was [[Marie-Laure Phinéra-Horth]] in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sénatoriales : Marie-Laure Phinéra-Horth devient la 1ère femme sénatrice de la Guyane |url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/guyane/ouest-guyanais/guyane/senatoriales-marie-laure-phinera-horth-devient-la-1ere-femme-senatrice-de-la-guyane-875146.html |access-date=2022-04-04 |website=Guyane la 1ère |language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mme Marie-Laure Phinera-Horth, sénatrice de la Guyane (Guyane) - Sénat |url=https://www.senat.fr/senateur/phinera_horth_marie_laure20146d.html |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=www.senat.fr}}</ref>

===Current deputies===

Guiana also elects two [[Deputy (legislator)|deputies]] to the [[French National Assembly]].  The last elections were held in [[2022 French legislative election|June 2022]]. The [[Decolonization and Social Emancipation Movement]] has one deputy, [[Jean-Victor Castor]], and [[La France Insoumise]] has one deputy, [[Davy Rimane]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Constituency!!Member!!Party
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Left Radical Party}}"|
| [[French Guiana's 1st constituency|1st]]
| [[Jean-Victor Castor]]
| [[Decolonization and Social Emancipation Movement]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Socialist Party (France)}}"|
| [[French Guiana's 2nd constituency|2nd]]
| [[Davy Rimane]]
| [[La France Insoumise]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{French Guianan political parties}}
{{Politics of French regions}}
{{Americas topic|Politics of}}
{{SouthAmerican legislatures}}

[[Category:Politics of French Guiana| ]]