The Fifth French Republic.

280 Pages·1962·9.35 MB·English

by  Donald M. Pickles

759
'
r
«»
4
. >
I
>
]
i
E
i
/
V
1 y
The Fifth French Republic
By the same author
THE FRENCH POLITICAL SCENE
FRANCE BETWEEN THE REPUBLICS
INTRODUCTION TO POLITICS
FRENCH politics: THE FIRST YEARS OF
THE FOURTH REPUBLIC
FRANCE: THE FOURTH REPUBLIC
The Fifth
French Republic
INSTITUTIONS AND POLITICS
Revised Edition
by
DOROTHY PICKLES
FREDERICK A. PRAEGER, Publisher
New York
BOOKS THAT MATTER
■ Published in the United States of America in 1962 by
Frederick A. Praeger, Inc., Publisher
64 University Place, New York 3, N.Y.
This is the second edition, revised and enlarged,''of the book first
published in I960 by Frederick A. Praeger, New York.
Text © I960, 1962 by Dorothy Pickles
Appendix © 1959 by William Pickles
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 62—21938
The Fifth French Republic is published in two editions:
A paperback edition (U-527)
A clothbound edition
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Part I
BACKGROUND TO THE CONSTITUTION
I THE REPUBLICAN TRADITION 3
Constitutional experiments. (3). The three cycles (3). Is Trance
entering a fourth cycle 1 {yf The Tepublican tradition (8).
II PRELUDE TO THE FIFTH REPUBLIC IJ
The importance of public opinion (15). The importance of the i}th
May (17). The importance of General de Gaulle (21). The im¬
portance of Parliament {z£).
^ III THE NATURE OF THE CONSTITUTION 26
Uncertainty and confusion (26). Republican and Presidential
characteristics (29). The incompatibility rule (33). Other claims to
orginality (35). Advisory and judicial organs (38). Constitutional
revision (40). The conflict of constitutional objectives (41).
Part II
INSTITUTIONS AND PARTIES OF THE
FIFTH REPUBLIC
THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM AND FRENCH ELECTORAL
HABITS 47
Electoral stability and instability (47). The electoral system
of the Fifth Republic {yf).
vi Contents
V PARTIES 63
Permanent characteristics of the French party system (63). The
impermanence of party alignments under the Fifth Fepuhlic (66).
The static Kight(G^). The extremeKightlji). The dynamic Right.
Is Gaullism conservative^ (73). The static Feft. Has Radicalism a
futuret (76). The Catholic Feft (78). Socialism and ‘constructive
opposition’’ (81). The Communist Party (85).
VI PARLIAMENT 89
The rights and duties of Members of Parliament (89). The
general orgam^ation of Parliamentary business (92). Fegislative
procedure (95). Finance and organic laws (97). Relations between
the two Houses (99). Restrictions on Parliamentary sovereignty
(lOl).
V'VII THE RELATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND
PARLIAMENT Io8
The purpose of the Constitution (108). The constitutional
methods of ensuring Governmental responsibility (no). Re¬
sponsibility in theory and in practice (112). Parliamentary control
and Parliamentary pressure (113). The Government’s control over
finance (118). Executive weapons against the Assembly (121).
The bicephalous executive (125).
VIII THE PRESIDENCY I28
The Presidential tradition and General de Gaulle (128). The
Presidential election (130). Traditional Presidential functions
(132). The concept of the arbitrator (134). The Presidency in
practice (136). Emergency powers (146). Institution and policies
(155)-
Part III
THE POLITICS OF THE FIFTH REPUBLIC
IX THE PRESIDENTIAL SECTOR (i) THE COMMUNITY I59
The Community (i6of From Community status to independence
(162). Independence in co-operation with France (162). The
future (165).