Home › Civic exam questions › Who temporarily takes over the duties of the President of…
Who temporarily takes over the duties of the President of the Republic if he or she dies?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: The President of the Senate. If the presidency is vacant, the President of the Senate temporarily carries out the President's duties. Think: Senate. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “Constitution du 4 octobre 1958, article 7” (in French).
Sources: Sheet “Constitution du 4 octobre 1958, article 7” (French), read on 15 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ The Prime MinisterLe Premier ministreIf the presidency is vacant, it is the President of the Senate, not the Prime Minister, who temporarily carries out the President's duties.
- ✓ The President of the SenateLe président du SénatCorrect answer. If the presidency is vacant, the President of the Senate temporarily carries out the President's duties. Think: Senate.
- ✗ The President of the National AssemblyLe président de l'Assemblée nationaleThe President of the National Assembly does not stand in for the President.
- ✗ The Minister of the InteriorLe ministre de l'IntérieurThe Minister of the Interior does not stand in for the President.
What the source says
« En cas de vacance de la Présidence de la République pour quelque cause que ce soit, ou d'empêchement constaté par le Conseil constitutionnel saisi par le Gouvernement et statuant à la majorité absolue de ses membres, les fonctions du Président de la République, à l'exception de celles prévues aux articles 11 et 12 ci-dessous, sont provisoirement exercées par le président du Sénat »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 15 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Qui assure provisoirement les fonctions du président de la République s'il meurt ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question comes from the list of the naturalisation version of the exam (PDF relayed by Le Français des affaires, read on 14 October 2026; the Ministry's own page for this list did not answer). The list's wording: “Qui assure l'intérim du président de la République en cas de décès ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Constitution du 4 octobre 1958, article 7” (French).
One question corrected is a start. Now see where you stand: 40 timed questions, corrected in English, French or Arabic.
Our rule of thumb: book only after 34 out of 40 on two mock exams. The official pass mark is 32 out of 40. A fail means registering and paying again.
Take the free mock exam (40 questions)