Ve République Flashcards
How many years is the president voted in for?
7 years
who decides to open voting?
le gouvernement
Who replaces the President in a time of absence?
The President of the Senate
Who calls and also have the power to postpone elections
The conseil constitutionnel
which article states that the President names the Prime minister?
article 8
What does the President do during the first 15 days of term?
Publicise the adopted laws
but also request certain laws to be deliberated, which consequently can’t be refused
Who looks after the les comités de la Défense nationale ?
The President of the Ve Republique
In circumstances which are deemed a threat to National security and the independence and Integrity of the nation what can the President do?
he can take on the powers of the president of the Assemblée nationale amnd the conseil constitutionnel to make the necessary decisions, he does however have to consult the Prime Minister
Who determines the political direction of France?
The government
Who is at the head of the decisions made by the government?
The prime minister
the Prime minister does what in the conseils de ministres to help the president? But what power does he hold over minsitres in office that evidently the President does not possess
he very simply helps him
but can choose his ministers
How do the ministres have some sort of power over the Prime Ministre?
they, if necessary, endorse his acts of power.
How are deputies chosen
through direct vote
how are members of the senate chosen? and what is it role abroad?
through indirect suffrage
they assure that all the territories abroad are considered in the Politique Nationale
the Prime minister has to do what before presenting his programme to the assemblée nationale?
it has to be discussed by the conseil de ministres
who decides the members of the government and their roles?
the President, based on the information provided by the Prime minister, decides who is in the government
who is chairman of the conseil de minsitres?
The president of the republic
Name the order of Presidents
De Gaulle -69 Pompidou - 74 Giscard - 81 Mitterand- 86 -95 Chirac- 97 - 2002 - 07 Sarkozy Hollande Macron
Key features of Gaullism
President lies at the centre of the Political system
The role of The president is legitimate and can be rivaled
De Gaulles features abroad and Defence
Build Missiles
Leave Nato (‘66)
EEC + alliances with Germany
Economic Prosperity
Demands made by the people in 60’s and ‘68
Ecologists
Feminists
Extreme left
all had an impact several year later with Mitterands rise to power
how many working strikers in may 68 and consequences of May 68 on power
10 million
a power vacum
What was Pompidou’s initial stance on Presidency following 68?
Had to keep a close eye on the affaires as the Gaullist UDR was fractious
How was Pompidou different to De Gaulle
more open minded and relaxed and came from a Business and Banking background
How were the complexities between Pres and PM highlighted in the early years of Pompidou’s reign?
Pompidou who was a reformist had to contend with the view of the reformist and string Gaullist Chaban-Delmas
Pompidous stance abroad
Removed ECC Veto on Britain but Franco German relations weakened
SFIO went to what name in 1970?
PS- the stature of the Party was revived in Municipal elections in 70 and 71
From who did Mitt take over in PS?
Mollet, who had been reserved about the idea of the new republic
ideas on which the PCF and PS formed an Alliance
decentralisation
increased workers rights
the PS had to attract the commies and centralists in order to get into power against a politically right majority
Giscard d’Estaing beat who in 74 and with what percentage
beat Mitt in second round elections with 50.8% of the vote
Summarise the early struggles between the PM and the President under Giscard
Chirac rewarded for assistance to Giscard with Premiership. G DE would have support of the gaullists in doing so, only lasted two years though and he resinged in 76 and named the UNR the RPR
these struggles gave way to the socialist rise in the 80’s
What was Giscard’s view on Capitalism
he tried to reform it and combine it with a new liberal that saw the inclusion of all classes
Post 76 what parliamentary challenges did Giscard face?
He could no longer rely on a majority and thus had to resort to constitutional changes that left him with more power
Stance on NATO of Giscard and Germany?
Moved closer to NATO
Reestablished relations with Chancellor Schmidt
Involved in the creation of the EC in 74
What was the long term political of Giscard?
He essentially was a transition to a Post Gaullist era in France
He was so confident that he would retain the Presidency that he barely even campaigned in ‘81
How did Mitterand increase control over the government early on?
He dissolved the national Assembly and consequently secured and absolute Socialist majority
Example of critical arbitration of Mitt
he said that France should remain in the European Monetary system which would stabilise trade
Mitt’s stance on capitalism
against it and committed to a break with the ideal
he nationalised the banks and industries and decentralised the government
By ‘84 what was the change that took place?
more moves towards privatisation
economic reflation was rejected
these changes came as a result of the combined pressures by the international community including trade deficits
what happened in 86
Presidential supremacy disappeared with a coalition to Chirac’s RPR
What was one of the failures of the Chirac?
reducing unemployment
What were the consequences of Chirac’s failures as Prime minister?
Mitterand’s popularity increased
and took on a new role as the voice of the people of France
Relation with Rocard + Mitterand
Mitt could take a back seat in domestic policy making and could concentrate on securing the agreement in Maastricht 1991
Mitt relation Edith Cresson
she needed more supervision
the social and economic reforms made were not favoured and thus deprived the government of spending leeway
What was the social fracture that Chirac diagnosed at the beginning of his term?
bad housing
low employment
exclusion of minorities
What was the role of Juppé under Chirac?
he was charged with meeting the the maastricht convergence for a single EU currency in 1999
were Juppés’ social security policies well received and why?
protests took place against them as he has made no effort to negotiate with social partners
Chirac’s stance on Nuclear testing
he didn’t back down on it in the case of the south pacific which in the scale of things was a string mark and well respected for doing so
Chirac’s break with traditional Gaullist views
decrease of defence budget and end of conscription
what lead to the 3rd cohabitation
the decision to dissolve the NA in 97 - Jospin became the new PM
effect of Jospin as PM and relation with Chirac
he made reforms for Parité
and introduced the 35hr week
he tried to intervene in the Palestinian cause in 2000- typically a domaine reserved for Presidents
What did article 12 of the constitution state?
That the President can dissolve the NA
How did De Gaulle consolidate power early on
due to a lack of Parliamentary majority he had to call on two referendums to elect himself as President
Who wins in a situation of cohabitation where the president and the PM disagree over a policy?
The former
Who are the two types of advisers that accompany the President in the Élysée?
Civil advisers and military advisers
On what subject did Balladur and Mitterand oppose each other in 1993-1995?
the testing of Nuclear missiles
The effect on foreign policy in the period of Cohabitation under Chirac and Jospin
inconsistent French Policy during negotiations for the Nice Treaty in 2000
Article 49-3 allows
the government to pass a law without a vote - this has been used 73 times until 1991
Ways in which the constitution appears to place the PM at the head of the Government
helps to nominate the ministers
Head of defence
Has the administration and armed forces at its disposal
