France Politics in a semi-presidential regime 5

France Politics in a semi-presidential regime

5 th 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 semipresidential 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 – powersharing

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?