Parlementaire

Parlementaire is a term used in French to describe anything related to a parliament or to parliamentary processes. Grammatically, it is an adjective, and it can also function as a common noun in the form of un parlementaire, referring to a member of a legislative body, such as a deputy or senator, depending on the country.

In political science and public discourse, parlementaire typically denotes systems, procedures, and practices tied to the legislature. A parliamentary system is one in which the executive branch derives its legitimacy from, and remains accountable to, the parliament. In such systems, the head of government is usually the leader of the majority or a coalition in parliament, and cabinet members are drawn from its ranks. The term also appears in discussions of parliamentary procedures, including debates, committee work, readings and amendments of bills, confidence votes, and the passage of legislation.

The phrase is used in various contexts to describe elections, privileges, and activities connected to lawmakers, such as elections parlementaires, commissions parlementaires, and privileges parlementaires. It can also be contrasted with presidential systems (régimes présidentiels) where the executive is independently elected and separate from the legislature.

Etymologically, parlementaire derives from the French parlement, which itself comes from parler, reflecting the historical origin of parliaments as bodies of discussion and negotiation. In English-language contexts, the direct translations are parliamentary or parliamentarian, with parlementaire appearing primarily in French-language material or bilingual discussions about constitutional arrangements.