Politics of Réunion

Réunion is an overseas département of France.^[1]

The island's conventional name is the Department of Réunion, or Réunion. The French flag is used on the island. The island's capital is Saint-Denis,^[1] and the island is divided into 4 arrondissements, 24 communes and 25 cantons.^[2]

Réunion is governed by French law under Article 73 of the Constitution of France, under which the laws and regulations are applicable as of right, as in metropolitan France.^[3] Suffrage is granted universally^[4] to all those over the age of 18.^[5]

Executive branch

The chief of state is the French President Emmanuel Macron,^[6] who is represented by Prefect Jacques Billant. The President of the Regional Council is Huguette Bello. The president of the Departmental Council is Cyrille Melchior.

Elections held in Réunion include the French presidential vote.^{[citation needed]} A prefect is appointed by the president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior.^{[citation needed]} The presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by members of those councils.^{[citation needed]}

Legislative branch

The regional council has 45 seats, and exercises the powers of a French region and certain specific powers of an overseas region.

The departmental council has 50 seats, and exercises departmental powers.

Regional Council composition

Party		Seats
Majority (29 seats)
	Miscellaneous left	10
	For Réunion	6
	Communist Party of Réunion	3
	La France Insoumise	2
	Socialist Party	2
	Banian	2
	Territories of Progress	1
	Action Populaire de la Réunion	1
	Mouvement citoyen réunionnais	1
	Endemik Réunion	1
Opposition (16 seats)
	Miscellaneous right	7
	Objectif Réunion	4
	The Republicans	2
	Union of Democrats and Independents	1
	France Réunion Avenir	1
	Miscellaneous centre	1

Departmental Council composition

Party		Seats	Group
Majority (37 seats)
	Miscellaneous right	13	Platform of the Union of the Right
	The Republicans	11
	Union of Democrats and Independents	6
	Objectif Réunion	3
	Miscellaneous right	4	Tampon avenir
Opposition (13 seats)
	Socialist Party	5	The United Left
	For Réunion	2
	Ecology Generation	1
	Communist Party of Réunion	3	Together for Sustainable and United Development
	Democratic Movement	2	Politics Differently

Deputies

Réunion elects seven deputies to the National Assembly for five-year terms.^[7]

	Deputy	Party
1st	Philippe Naillet	PS
2nd	Karine Lebon	PLR
3rd	Joseph Rivière	RN
4th	Emeline K/Bidi	LP
5th	Jean-Hugues Ratenon	RÉ974
6th	Frédéric Maillot	PLR
7th	Perceval Gaillard	RÉ974

Senators

Réunion elects four senators to the Senate for six-year terms.

Senator	Party
Viviane Malet		LR
Stéphane Fouassin		UDI
Audrey Bélim		PS
Evelyne Corbière		PLR

European Parliament

Réunion participates in French elections to the European Parliament. It was formerly a part of the Indian Ocean section of the Overseas constituency, before France reverted to a single constituency in 2019.