FRANCE

Legacy of the Revolution:

Declaration of the Rights of Man / Citizen

• Individual rights (e.g. property and expression)
• Political rights (popular soverignty, separation of powers, representative democracy)

Secularism

• Religious neutrality of the state
• Religious freedom of citizens
• Influence of Enlightenment (Rousseau)
• Catholic Church opposed revolution
• 1905: Separation of Church and State
• 2004: Ban of conspicuous religious signs in schools
• 2010: Ban on face covering ("Burka Ban")
• 2016: Burkini ban suspended

Republicanism

• Principle of equality before the law
• "Law is the expression of the general will... all citizens being equal in the eyes of the law" (Declaration of the Rights of Man/ Citizen)
• Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite

Charles de Gaulle / 5th Republic 1890-1970:

1940-1944:

• Battle of France (1940)
• Vichy France and Appeal of Armistice
• "Free zone" and government exiled
• Allies (France) vs Axis
• Liberation of Paris (1944)
• De Gaulle President of Provisional Gov (1944)

1946-58 = 4th Republic:

• Instability (24 PMs in 12ys)
• Parliamentary system/ proportional representation
• Decolonisation of France
• De Gaulle last PM of 4th Republic (1958)

De Gallue first President of 5th Republic (1959)

Gaullism:

• Idea of France: "independence, sovereignty and a world leader"

1965: Empty Chair Crisis

1966: Withdrawl from NATO

Economic intervention:

• State enterprises
• Economic planning
• No economic liberalism

Strong executive:

• Direct election of President / Referendums frequent

Semi-presidentialism (replacing parliamentary government of 4th Republic):

Institutions of the 5th Republic:

• Strong executive power
• Popular election of President  (7y term but 5y since referendum 2000)
• Government needs support of National Assembly
• Prime Minister appointed by President
• Executive and legislative power
• Cohabitation (e.g. 1997-2002: Chirac - Jospin)

Presidential elections:

• Win = absolute majority (50% + 1 vote) in R1

Or

• 2 most successful candidates continue to R2

Legislative elections:

577 deputies in single-member districts

• Win  = absolute majoirty of votes in R1

OR

• Simple majority in R2

Jean-Luc Melenchon:

Unsubmissive France, La France Insoumise (FI)

• Critical of EU
• Rejects economic liberalism

Benoit Hamon:

Socialist Party, Parti Socialiste (PS)

• Basic income
• Pro-EU
• Rejects economic liberalism

Emmanuel Macron:

Forward!, En Marche (EM)

• Liberal on economic and social issues
• Pro-EU
• Pro-immigration

Francois Fillon:

The Republicans, Les Republicains (LR)

• Economically liberal ("French Thatcher")
• Conservative on social issues
• Controversial foreign policy (cooperation with Putin and Assad)

Marine Le Pen:

National Front, Front National (FN)

• Anti-immigratin
• Anti-EU
• Nativism ("national preference" for French citizens)

Founded 1972 by Jean-Marie Le Pen

First successes in 1980s

Racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, Islamophobic

Marine President of FN since 2011

New image? New programme?

• New focus on economic issues
• Same programme on immigration
• No mention of death penalty (but no ideological change)