France's Parties and Hybrid System

Le Mans, France (Tan) 

One of the main comparative politics lessons for today is that institutions arise as a result of politics and also shape future politics, important insight of institutional analysis (institutions<-- > politics).  Other lessons: far right .

So, France’s presidential system that we will discuss has arisen in a particular context, as an outcome of France’s political/historical process.   But, the existence of that system also affects politics: Affects politics today.  Existence of French president, interaction with Prime Minister also of the right.

Classify regime

Loire at Amboise (Tan)

Number and kinds of rulers

Democracy–not authoritarian/totalitarian

Any features that strike you as undemocratic?

Political Culture

"Community-held beliefs, feelings, and values that influence political behavior" transmitted through socialization (family, media, literature).

For France, strong role for state bureaucracy (dirigisme), love of France/French traditions, anti-party attitudes, cynical about politicians, respect for rural life, respect for intellectuals, poles between authoritarian and democratic (Louis XIV to French Revolution), secular consensus (Laïcité, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3tUjU8O2Kc on burqa ban).

Development

Political development: Modern (not traditional or charismatic), complex governmental structure, legitimacy of the system based on a secular and rational view of the right to govern, widening of political participation, government able to manage tensions, implement policy, stable system.

Economic development: high incomes (GDP per capita PPP US$ 32,700) and education levels (literacy 99%), long lives (life expectancy 81), industrialized (77% urbanized), importance of services in the economy/relative decline in the importance of agriculture in the economy (labor force 3.8%), few babies (TFR 1.98).  Figures from CIA World Factbook France https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/FR.html.

Economic System

Capitalism: Market context, Much of the means of production privately owned and operated for profit, but economy is heavily mixed. Talk more about the economy next time. 

France’s Presidential System

French President Nicolas Sarkozy (Wikipedia)

If we were to draw a picture of the French political system, it wouldn’t look like the British system (because there is a president), it also wouldn’t look like the American system (because there is a parliament and a prime minister).

Refer to your US/Britain/France system handouts

Executive

President (5-year term)

    Powers:

• appoint PM (but must command 50%+1 of the legislature)

• cannot veto (can ask for reconsideration of legislation for two weeks)

• signs Council of Ministers’ decrees (signed by all ministers as well)

• chairs Council of Ministers

• chairs councils of armed forces

• sends messages to the National Assembly

• ratifies treaties-after parliamentary approval

• pardon

• dissolve or threat to dissolve parliament and so call new elections

• can decide constitutional amendments need not go to referendum

• right to send bills on organization of public authorities, soc/econ (since 1995) to parliament

Prime Minister (PM) (appointed by president generally as his/her chief aide, but needs 50% + 1 support in the legislature)—runs the day-to-day operation of the government, policy)

Government/Cabinet=Council of Ministers—ministers (20) and secretaries of state (20)

Bureaucracy—strong civil service (dirigisme—strong management).  Many in the political and bureaucratic elite are "Énarques," from the elite École nationale d'administration.

Legislature

National Assembly (577—five-year term)

Senate (320—indirectly elected through electoral colleges composed 95% of municipal councillors).  Six-year term, weaker of the two legislative bodies: delaying power mostly. Important on constitutional change). President of Senate replaces French President if resigns/dies in office. Can ask questions, form commissions of inquiry.

Judiciary

Constitutional Council, which has become a Supreme Court

The French presidential system is described as a hybrid system or semi-presidential system, bringing together features of two different types of government: presidential and parliamentary systems.

How did the hybrid French presidential system come about?

1) We have to keep in mind France’s history: long, troubled years of parliamentary government under the Third (1870-1940) and Fourth (1946-1958) Republics.  Governments rose and fell—rarely lasting more than half a year, coalitions were unwieldy and unstable, hardly anything could be accomplished.  The government would come to power, agree on a common program (or not), and then fall, before it had a chance to carry out any of its proposed policies.  What does it mean to say that a government fell? (didn’t have support of 50% +1 of the parliament, might have to go to new elections, might try to form alternative coalitions to get to 50%+1).  Why this weak type of government? Reaction to Vichy, Nazism, go hyper-democratic, weak executive, keep up traditions of Resistance.

2) Envisioned as an institutional fix for a perceived political problem.  Problem was the endemic instability in the country’s politics.  Fix was a presidential system that was seen to be more stable.  Can you think of other institutional fixes used to deal with political problems?

De Gaulle (Wikipedia)

3) Cannot be separated from the return of De Gaulle to power in 1958.  Would not come to power in the weak, lily-livered system then in existence.  Wanted a strong imperial type of presidency, ability to make real change, power to carry it out, durability to last.  Presidential system seen as offering more stability.  President in office for the relatively long period of 7 years (now just 5, since 2000).  But, existence of hybrid system not everything that De Gaulle wanted.  Parliamentary elements, influence of politicians and parties in keeping a role at the top.

4) Cultural attributes.  French political culture seems to swing between the democratic and the authoritarian.  A strong presidency rings more toward the authoritarian/imperial side of the spectrum.  There is a thought that strongman government like Louis XIV and Napoleon, part of the path to French greatness, carry its culture, language, ideals out into the world.  One man can embody the will of the nation. This was the argument of Napoleon and his nephew Napoleon III.  Napoleon III pioneered use of referenda, also used by De Gaulle.

5) Needed strong figure to confront massive problems country was facing, decolonization, war in Algeria. Losing Vietnam one thing, losing Algeria quite another one million French settlers.  Threat from the military associated with war in Algeria (prospective coup), need figure of De Gaulle’s stature.

Getting back to the theme we mentioned earlier: politics shaped the formation of this institution (the French presidency/the whole constitutional set-up of the Fifth Republic) and the institution shaped and continued to shape politics in return.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of a system of the French type?

Strengths

• Stronger more decisive and competent government than parliamentary system as operated under earlier Third and Fourth Republics
• Can have more technocratic ministers (professionals in area of authority).

Weaknesses

• Unclear lines of authority, what is the president’s realm and the PM's?  De Gaulle as president never accepted that there were limits to what he could do executively.  “Clearly, it is the president alone who holds and delegates the authority of the State.”
• Cohabitation could lead to immobilism or conflict (though 1997 to 2002 cohabitation between Gaullist president Chirac handled foreign affairs, Europe and  Socialist PM Jospin handled socio-economic affairs, relatively harmonious). Earlier Mitterand cohabitation: accept what government proposed as long as within the limits of fair and honest government. 

Q: Could a system like this be used in the US?  What would happen if it were?

Talk a bit about French political parties, to get to our topic about the far right in French (European) politics. 

How can we characterize French political parties? And why are parties the way they are?

• Weaker than some parties elsewhere  (tradition of weak parties, French not association joiners. Localism-not join big national organizations, general anti-party attitudes—De Gaulle’s Rassemblement du Peuple Francais, later Rassemblement pour la Republique, rally, DeGaulle’s purposeful weakening of parties, relying on those outside of this movement)
• Party system not heavily institutionalized.  Main parties can change, jump around in levels of support.  Reason I’m not too particularly interested that you learn the names of the French parties tend to change.  What are the main party families?  On the center-right, Gaullists, Union pour un mouvement populaire (Union for a Popular Movement), founded in 2002 as Union pour la majorité presidentielle (Union for a Presidential Majority).  On the left, Socialists (dominant party of the Left) and Communists (declined to almost 5% in the last parliamentary election, only 3.5% in the presidential election, historic low).  On the far right, National Front (discuss more later). 

Logo of the UMP Party

To understand the parties, we need to understand the French electoral system

First, elections both for president and for parliament

Conducted in two-ballot system (scrutin d’arrondissement à deux tours) with first round and run off

Conducted on two successive Sundays

Parliament in SMDs—all those scoring above 12.5% allowed to participate in run-off, one scoring most elected (can be elected in first round if more than 50%)

President—two best finishers square off, one getting more than 50% wins.

Fourth Republic had used a proportional representation system, seen to be fairer, but also to contribute to the proliferation of parties and weakness of government which must be conducted by coalitions of parties

Effects of the Current French system—not as easy to see as the effects of Britain’s system, not always the same

• Can lead to dominance of one party for an extended period of time (as was case of Gaullists)
• Can lead to pushing parties toward two blocs.  UMP v. Socialists. 
• Can lead to a proliferation of candidates in first round, multiple candidates representing left, center, and right (system remains multi-party).  Presidential race 2002, can express “true” opinion in first round, then choose between two remaining in a more practical choice in second.
• But there must be some consolidation in the second round—can lead to negotiated agreements among parties to trade support of voters for concessions.  Pushes toward creation of broad blocs.

Issues in French elections 2007

• Economy, unemployment stuck at 10% (talk about this next time)

• Law and order/immigration (2005 banlieue riots)

• Woman in the race for top position (Ségolène Royal of the Socialist Party), appealed to women specifically (un-French to segment vote market)

• Francois Bayrou in the center (now called Mouvement democrate)

• Attitude to the US/Europe (how much to oppose the US key)

• Turnout in elections declining in recent decades, to just 60% in most recent elections.

The Far Right in French Politics (if time remains)

Spend a bit of time talking about the rise of the right in French politics because this is an issue that is a domestic political issue of concern on a Europe-wide basis.  Britain's Labour Party prime minister Tony Blair urged Europeans to 'rally' against the far right, and called on 'democratic people of all persuasions to stand together in solidarity against extremist policies of whatever kind'.

• Freedom Party in Austria (has gotten 20%+ of the national vote)
• Party for Freedom in the Netherlands (see leader Geert Wilders on BBC Hardtalk at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m-01pJfLJU or Wilders' blog at http://www.geertwilders.nl/)
• Skinheads, National Democratic Party in Germany (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x5lmSm50CA
• National Alliance in Italy
• Swiss People’s Party (has scored 29% of the vote)
• UK Independence Party (Britain). Won 16+% and 13 seats in European Parliament elections in 2009, finished second behind Conservatives, beat Labour!
• National Front in France (Le Pen finished second in presidential elections in 2002).

What does it mean to be on the far right in politics?

Why is the rise of the right an issue?

• Nazi legacy and fear of a return of a similar regime/ideas
• National Front largest extreme right party in Europe
• Many newspapers on the left in Europe, therefore rise of far right viewed with alarm, can scare, develop readers’ interest
• Goes against idea that there was a “new consensus” on the proper role of government in society, the economy in France (developed during the 1980s)
• Ideas put forth by National Front influence mainstream debate, mainstream candidates have to respond. Candidates in election 2007 had to deal with far right's “anti-immigration” nerve, some rhetoric capitaized on by Sarkozy in his rise.
• Anti-parties—opposing mainstream, establishment

Is there a rise of the right?

Increased levels of support

27% 1999 for Freedom Party in Austria, included in government.

10-15% for National Front in parliamentary elections in France (1988-2002), third in NA 2002. Just 4% in parliamentary elections in 2007 (but Sarkozy known for taking many hardline positions re: immigration, law and order). Le Pen scored 10% in first round of 2007 presidential elections.

Presidential Election in France in 2002 called “the earthquake”

Chirac (Gaullist) 19.9%

Le Pen (National Front) 16.9%

Jospin (Socialist) 16.2%

Thirteen other candidates

So, Le Pen came out of seemingly nowhere to clip sitting prime minister Lionel Jospin and leave him out of the final running in the run-off election.

Who is Jean-Marie Le Pen?

From Michael Radu: “In 1987 he described the Holocaust as a 'minor point of detail' of European history — he is a former Foreign Legion paratrooper with a big chip on his shoulder. . . . A self-proclaimed French nationalist, self-proclaimed leftist on social issues and conservative on economic matters, he is a dedicated enthusiast squaring the circle by some inscrutable (and certainly not Cartesian) logic."   Charismatic, effective speaker and debater of issues.

Interesting point has been realignment of sorts away from Communism and toward National Front (at least in 2002).  Scholars noted particularly that working class areas, instead of voting Communist as they had in the past, voted for the far right.

See an extensive interview at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7qTyvYNe8k&feature=fvw

But, is there a rise of the right? Are neo-Nazis about to take over France?

• Second round: Chirac 82.2, Le Pen 17.8.  Whole population galvanized to oppose Le Pen
• Major split in the right in 1999 when Bruno Megret, Le Pen’s protégé, left the National Front and took, among others Le Pen’s three daughters with him.   Tried to organize a leadership election in the party, hoped to take over.  Important difference in tactics (and perhaps opposition to Le Pen’s personalization of the movement around his own self). Megret wanted to form coalitions with other parties of the right, as has been done successfully now in Italy and Austria.  (But Megret’s Republican National Movement, not half the force of the National Front.)

What does the success of the far right tell us about politics in France, or Europe more widely?

• Some not going along on the agreed project: Eur-ification, liberal social mores, immigration, globalization. Want nation, protection, homogeneity, certainty.
• Difficulties of transition and adaption to a post-industrial, post-colonial, post-national society.

REMEMBER TO READ FOR NEXT TIME. YOU WILL BE PUT IN SMALL GROUPS FOR DISCUSSION.

Article Discussion: On France's identity at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/world/europe/29identity.html.

• Sum up the article.

• How does the article relate to the rise of the far right?  (Sarkozy trying to draw in support from the far right by hitting on one of their key issues: immigration, otherness of Muslims in France, Sarko; no place for burka)

• Why did Sarkozy launch the debate on national identity? (campaign promise, dwindling popularity, important regional elections March 2010, get own party behind him with issues of concern to right: immigration, French identity)

• What does it mean to be French? culture, language, terroirs, secularism . . . .

Updated: January 11, 2010

Return to Dr. Tan's homepage at http://people.uncw.edu/tanp/