Institutional routes
What each route allows, what it requires, and above all what it does not guarantee. Thresholds checked in October 2026: to be confirmed on official sites before any step.
Petition to the Senate
A petition gathering 100 000 signatures in six months can be examined. The Conference of Presidents decides what follows; it is not obliged to act.
petitions.senat.frPetition to the National Assembly
It needs 500 000 signatories from at least 30 departments. The Conference of Presidents "may" then put the subject on the agenda: nothing is automatic.
petitions.assemblee-nationale.frShared-initiative referendum (RIP)
It needs the support of 185 members of Parliament, then that of about a tenth of registered voters (in the order of 4,5 to 4,9 million people). If Parliament examines the text within six months, the referendum does not take place. The procedure is heavy and rarely succeeds.
referendum.interieur.gouv.frWrite to members of Parliament and local elected officials
A precise, costed proposal with the competent authority identified can be taken up by an elected official as a question, an amendment or a bill. This is the fastest and most modest route.
