Presidents, Prime Ministers and Majorities in the French Fifth Republic

Contents
Editors and Contributors
About the Editors
Contributors
Presidents, Prime Ministers and Majorities in the French Fifth Republic
	References
Charles de Gaulle: The Birth of the Modern French Monarchy, the Fifth Republic
	The End of the French Fourth Republic
	The Return to Power of General de Gaulle
	The Drafting and Adoption of a New Constitution
	The Birth of the Fifth Republic
		Creating New Institutions
		The Legislative and Presidential Elections of November–December 1958, the Second Unction of the Fifth Republic
	International Unrest Shaping the New Regime
		Settling the Algerian Conflict
		The Failure of the ‘French Commonwealth’ and the Creation of Franco-African Cooperation Agreements
	The Strengthening of the Fifth Republic by the de Gaulle Presidency (1962–1967)
		1962, a Turning Point in the History of the Gaullist Republic
		The 1965 Presidential Election
		The Main Contributions of the Pompidou Governments
	The End of the de Gaulle Presidency (1968–1969)
		The Crisis of 1968
		The Gaullist Swan Song: The Couve de Murville Government and the April 1969 Referendum
	De Gaulle and the Primacy of the Executive
	Conclusion
	References
Georges Pompidou: Rooting the Fifth Republic
	Meritocracy and via crucis
	The “Dauphin”
	A “Bastard System”
	Peace with Parliament
	A Bipolar Political System
	The Two-Headed Eagle
	From Seven to Five
	The Élysée Palace
	The Prince’s Seal
	The King’s Two Bodies
	Conclusions
	References
Valéry Giscard d’Estaing: “France Shall Not Fall Back into the Party Regime”
	A Man of the Institutions, a Well-Rooted Notable and, Occasionally, a Party Militant
	Intra-Executive Conflicts: Competitive Views on the Presidency or Power Politics
	Presidents Against Parties: When the Presidential Party Is too Small for Significant Reforms
	Conclusions
	References
François Mitterrand: The Last Republican Monarch
	The Socialists’ Adjustment to the Semi-presidential Regime (1981–1986)
	The First Cohabitation: A Rivalry Between the Prime Minister and the President (1986–1988)
	A More Parliamentarian Fifth Republic? (1988–1993)
	A President Weakened by Scandals and a New Cohabitation
	Conclusions
	References
Jacques Chirac: The Failure of Social Gaullism, the Longest Cohabitation and the Spectre of the Far Right
	An All-Mighty President?
	The Longest Cohabitation: The End of the “Republican Monarchy”?
	The Chirac Quinquennium: The Return to Presidential Pre-eminence?
		A Loyal Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin and a Strong Majority in Parliament
		Jacques Chirac Facing the Presidential Ambitions of Nicolas Sarkozy and Dominique de Villepin
	Conclusions
	References
Nicolas Sarkozy: Voluntarism, Hyper-Presidency and Contestation
	Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose: The French Polity under Change
	The Best of Frenemies: The Key Role of the Prime Minister in the Hyper-Presidency
	Restoring the Powers of Parliament and the Advent of the “Fifth Republic Bis”
	Conclusions
	References
François Hollande: The Presidency at an Impasse
	The “Normal” President
	The Rapidly Weakened President
	A President Facing the Most Important Terrorist Attacks in French History
	An Impossible New Candidature
	Conclusion
	References
Emmanuel Macron: The Art of Casting
	Real Power Lies in the Ability to Appoint
		Betting on an Open Casting Call
		Monitor and Punish
	Assemblies Subdued by the Executive?
		The Weakness of Neophytes
		The Strength of Institutions
	Conclusion
	References
Index