France: Fifth Republic

1
France Fifth Republic

• Structures of Government

2
Legacy of the Fourth Republic (1946 1958)

• Classical parliamentary system of government
• Narrowness of government coalitions led to
  political instability
• 24 governments in 12 years
• Weak leadership
• International tensions source of domestic
  instability
• Threat of civil war in Algeria leads to transfer
  of powers to General de Gaulle

ALN guerrillas using mortar across the
Algerian-Tunisian border protected by the
electrified Morice Line. (1958)
3
Constitution and Governmental Structure

• Constitution of 1958
• Mixed Presidential Parliamentary government
• The Executive
• President of the Republic
• Placed above parties
• Worked with Parliament, the Cabinet, the people
• Could appeal to the people in two ways
• Submit legislation to the electorate for
  referendum
• Could dissolve Parliament and call for new
  elections

4
Powerful Presidential Designed for Gen Charles
deGaulle

• Chosen by the parliament
• Sparing use of emergency powers
• Only during rebellion of generals in Algiers
  (1961)

5
Presidential legitimacy and authority augmented
by popular election

• 1962 constitutional amendment provided for a
  seven year, renewal term
• Amendment approved in national referendum
• Subsequently reduced to five years (2000)
• General Secretariat and staff at Elysee Palace
  (smaller than White House Staff)
• Fifth Republic presidents view power as emanating
  directly from the people

6
Nicolas Sarkosy assumed presidency of France
May 16, 2007

• YouTube - Nicolas sarkosy et Ségolène Royal
• www.youtube.com/watch?vH1OqdDdEIzY

• French President and current rotating President
  of the European Union Nicolas Sarkozy, center,
  speaks as U.S. President George W. Bush, left,
  and President of the European Commission, right,
  Jose Manuel Barroso look on October 18, in Camp
  David, Maryland.

7
Dissolution of parliament

• Francois Mitterrand won his gamble to gain a
  socialist majority in parliament (1981)

• Jacques Chirac lost his in his effort to extend
  conservative rule (1997)

8
(No Transcript)
9
French Executive President

• Hybrid dimensions of the French presidency
• Duties
• Chooses Prime Minister
• Chairs Council of Ministers
• Removes ministers who have lost his confidence
• Dominates Foreign Affairs and Defense Policy

• François Hollande

10
Office of Prime Minister

• Responsible for day-to-day running of the
  government
• Division of responsibilities president/Prime
  Minister varies
• Personalities enter into division of
  responsibilities
• Conditions under which Prime Minister serves
• Lionel Jospin (different party than president)
• François Fillon (same party as the president)

11
François Fillon Prime Minister of France under
Chirac (appointed May 17, 2007)

• 1997, National Secretary of RPR, in charge of the
  Federations.
• Since 2002, founder member of Union en Mouvement,
  writer of the project of Union en Mouvement ("Our
  vision for France") and President of the
  Association France.

12
Current Prime Minister (Jean Marc Avrault)

• Close ally of François Hollande
• Named 16 May 2012
• Primary tasks Harnesses parliamentary majority
  for presidential policies

13
What is involved in running day to day
activities of the executive in France?)

• Administration
• Develops legislation
• Budget
• Calls inter-ministerial meetings
• Regularly scheduled meetings of high civil
  servants
• Reflect growing power of PM

14
French Executive Times of co-habitation

• Prime Minister gains dominant authority at
  expense of President
• Presidential power limited by lack of control
  over administrative machinery
• Prime Ministers power limited by
• Parliament
• President prerogatives
• still can make appointments
• Foreign and Defense policy maker

15
French Legislature Two Houses

• National Assembly
• Senate

16
French National Assembly

• Power curtailed as a lesson of history

17
French National Assembly

• Elected directly for five year terms
• May be dissolved at any time
• 1958 constitution strove to end subordination of
  government to parliament
• President chooses cabinet members

18
Policy Process French National Assembly

• Most legislation proposed by the government
• Blocked vote
• Parliament must accept bill in its entirety
• Used after 1986 to compensate for slim government
  majorities
• Parliament votes broad enabling legislation
• Enabling ordnances from government

19
Policy Process French National Assembly II

• Prime Minister may pledge the responsibility of
  the government
• Bill becomes law without vote
• Used during time that Socialists controlled both
  the National Assembly and presidency
• Parliament may censure government usually
  results in dissolution

20
Conditions under which National Assembly
Overthrows a Government

• Explicit motion of censure
• Passed by more than one-half of the members of
  Assembly
• Gvt. can resist pressure to resign
• Can call for new election
• New dissolution parliament prohibited
• Vote of censure is only way National Assembly can
  condemn government

21
French Senate

• Since 2004
• 346 senators
• 9-year term
• Elected indirectly
• by approximately 150,000 local elected officials
  ("grands électeurs"), including mayors, city
  councillors, and deputies of the National
  Assembly.
• This system introduces a bias in the composition
  of the Senate, which favors rural areas.

22
Policy Process French Senate

• Historically hostile to social and economic
  change
• Defended traditional republican liberties
• Most influential in delaying legislation
• Constitutional amendments need approval by simple
  or three-fifths- majority
• Relationship with National Assembly relatively
  peaceful

23
Constitutional Council

• Originally seen as firewall against legislative
  erosion of constraints placed on National
  Assembly
• Landmark decision in 1971established right to
  judicial review

24
Constitutional Council 1974 Constitutional
Amendment increased powers

• Empowered to consider legislation before it is
  promulgated
• 60 senators or 60 deputies can submit cases for a
  ruling
• Up to 28 of laws in given year submitted to
  Council

25
Regional Government departments

• Centralization has predominated despite presence
  of forces favoring decentralization
• Since Revolution France divided into 100
  departments administered by a prefect
• Departments grouped into 22 regions since 1955
• Elected assembly since 1986
• Also elected president

26
Decentralization legislation of 1986

• Most formal powers of prefects transferred to
  presidents of departmental and regional councils
• Regional councils elected for first time by
  system of proportional representation
• Interests of larger French cities enhanced by
  establishment of elected regional councils
• Big city mayors have considerable influence

27
(No Transcript)
28
Balance between Centralization/Decentralization

• Greatest loss of authority of central government
  has been in reduction of authority of prefects
• Imposition of national standards allow central
  bureaucracy to keep large measure of national
  control

29
(No Transcript)