France

Politics in a semi-presidential regime

5th Republic Constitution

• Constitution designed to increase the authority of the executive

• Constitution does so by strengthening the Premier and weakening the National Assembly

• Regime can be more presidential – president in direct command or more parliamentary, depending on who controls the National Assembly

France’s Fifth Republic:politics in a semi-presidential

• Unitary system– divided into 21 regions and 95 departments

• Semi-presidential– President (head of state) is directly elected

for 5 year terms (until 2002, 7 years)– Premier (head of government) is appointed

by the President, but must retain the confidence of the National Assembly (lower house of a bi-cameral parliament)

France: politics in a semi-presidential regime

• Directly elected president – head of state -- gives overall direction to government policy

• Premier – head of government – hired and fired by the President – but must serve with the confidence of the National Assembly

• National Assembly (lower house) can censure the Premier and force/his or her removal

The Fifth Republic Party System

• Like all French party systems, a multiparty system

• Reflecting the electoral law (double ballot – runoff system) and competition for a single indivisible presidency, parties tend to cluster in two blocs, the left & the right

Elections

• Presidential elections precede regular parliamentary elections (one month gap)

• Voters often – but not always – give parties supporting the president a parliamentary majority

• This determines whether the constitution operates in Presidential or Parliamentary mode

Balance among President, Premier and National Assembly:Presidential mode:• Parties supporting

President have a majority in the National Assembly

• President appoints and may remove the Premier

• Premier implements president’s program

Parliamentary mode– Parties opposing the

president have a majority in the National Assembly

– National Assembly can censure premier if it so chooses

– Outcome:• Stalemate and/or

parliamentary elections OR

• Cohabitation – power-sharing

Presidential dominance:

• Parties supporting the President have a majority in the National Assembly

• President appoints a premier of his choice• Premier carries out the President’s program,

securing the passage of legislation as need• National Assembly and Senate comply.

– Premier may make legislation a matter of confidence– If he does so, the legislation passes unless

• 10% of deputies file a motion of censure• The motion is passed by an absolute majority (50% +1) of

the entire National Assembly

Parliamentary mode:

• Parties opposing the president have a majority in the National Assembly

• President may appoint premier of his choice, but National Assembly can censure– If premier (and cabinet) are censured, they must

resign– President may then

• Dissolve the National Assembly and call for new elections (but only once per 12 month period)

• Appoint a premier acceptable to the National Assembly majority, resulting in cohabitation or power-sharing

Presidential power?

• Who is more powerful vis á vis other actors in the system: the President of the United States or the President of France?

• If so, in what respects?