Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (France)
| Leader of the Main Opposition in the Senate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Style | The President |
| Residence | None |
| Term length | 3 years |
| Inaugural holder | Antoine Courrière |
In France, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is the leader of the largest opposition group in the Senate. This status has no official recognition in the French Constitution. What is more, the ideological differences between groups in the Senate is smaller than as usual, as the powers of the Senate allow it, at best, to lengthen the time for a bill.
List of Opposition Leaders in the Fifth Republic
Political Party: Socialist UMP
| Name | Took office | Left office | Political Group | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background:Template:Socialist Party (France)/meta/color; color:white;"| | Antoine Courrière[1] | 28 April 1959 | 2 October 1974 | Socialist | |
| style="background:Template:Socialist Party (France)/meta/color; color:white;"| | Marcel Champeix[2] | 2 October 1974 | 2 October 1980 | Socialist | |
| style="background:Template:Socialist Party (France)/meta/color; color:white;"| | André Méric[3] | 2 October 1980 | 22 June 1988 | Socialist | Resigned to join the government |
| style="background:Template:Socialist Party (France)/meta/color; color:white;"| | Claude Estier[4] | 22 June 1988 | 1 October 2004 | Socialist | Did not seek reelection to the Senate |
| style="background:Template:Socialist Party (France)/meta/color; color:white;"| | Jean-Pierre Bel[5] | 1 October 2004 | 1 October 2011 | Socialist | Opposition won 2011 Senate elections, subsequently he became President of the Senate.[6] |
| style="background:Template:Union for a Popular Movement/meta/color; color:white;"| | Jean Claude Gaudin[7] | 1 October 2011 | 1 October 2014 | UMP | First right-wing opposition leader of the Fifth Republic |
| style="background:Template:Socialist Party (France)/meta/color; color:white;"| | Didier Guillaume[8] | 1 October 2014 | Incumbent | Socialist | |