France v Germany
► FRANCE ► Pop: 59.8 million ► Political system: unitary republic, semipresidential system ► Executive: dual – president, PM ► Legislature: Bicameral (Senate & National Assembly) ► Judiciary: Constitutional Council (9 member) ► GERMANY ► Pop: 82.4 million ► Political system: parliamentary democracy (16 federal states) ► Executive: chancellor is head of government, ceremonial president head of state ► Legislature: Bicameral Bundestag – lower house and Bundesrat – upper house
France – regime history ► Ancien regime (Bourbon monarchy) before 1789 ► French Revolution 1789 Different revolutionary regimes until 1799 First Republic in 1792 was first modern European regime based on concept that all citizens, regardless of social background, were equal before law ► Consulate & First Empire – Napoleon – Napoleonic Code of Law – detailed legal framework ► Restoration (of monarchy) ► July Monarchy – – Louis Philippe ► Second Republic –
► Second Empire (Louis Napoleon) ► Third Republic – Created after civil war Parliamentary with weak executive ► Vichy regime during WWII – collaborated with Nazis ► Fourth Republic – ► Fifth Republic – since 1958 Current president Nicholas Sarkozy
► Most of 19 th & early 20 th c – France preserved political & economic stability at cost of modernization ► Slow growth of French population ► Large peasantry until 20 th c – inhibited industrialization ► Underdeveloped entrepreneurial spirit – excelled at luxury goods – not mass production
Germany – regime history ► First German state – Holy Roman Empire – Charlemagne – 800 A.D. (First Reich) Two factors hindered German state formation: uncertain geographic boundaries & religious division Junkers – reactionary noble landlords eastern Prussia – promoted patriotic military, honor, duty, service to state ► Second Reich – Authoritarian regime – democratic in appearance Primary goal – rapid industrialization “scramble for Africa” failed Count Otto von Bismarck – German chancellor from Kaiser Wilhelm II – abdicated at end of WWI
► Weimar Republic – Social Democratic Party (SPD) – procedural democracy Multiple political parties – far left to far right Flaw - parties did not accept legitimacy of democracy Treaty of Versailles - reparations Great Depression – mark devalued ► Third Reich – Adolf Hitler – leader of Nazi party 1920, chancellor of Germany in 1933 Loss of free speech, free press Nazi-dominated cabinet – sweeping powers
► Divided Germany – Cold War tensions - division – Federal Republic of Germany (West) vs German Democratic Republic (East) – communist Berlin Wall built 1961 ► Challenge of German unification – Berlin Wall opened 1989 – formal unification took place one year later Unification strained Germany’s budget and democratic institutions ► Germany in Euro Era – 1998-present Germany is economic anchor of EU concerns that open borders and immigration will erode what it means to be “German”
Organization of State – France & Germany
France ► Fifth Republic – semipresidential system Combines elements of presidential & parliamentary systems Both president & parliament popularly elected Dual executive: president appoints a prime minister and government Parliament can vote motion of censure – which can force government to resign
► Executive France first major country to adopt semipresidential system Other countries have since adopted this – Russia, Austria, Finland, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Iceland, Iraq President is head of state, but also has policy-making & executive power Prime minister & cabinet appointed by president but responsible to parliament President powerful because ► Personalities – Charles de Gaulle ► Powers conferred by constitution ► Political practices of Fifth Republic – but government, not president, still first policy-making institution
► Legislature Bicameral: National Assembly & Senate ► National Assembly – passes legislation, and can force government to resign by voting censure Power diminished in Fifth Republic - especially limited powers of oversight and budgetary process Executive can dissolve National Assembly before five-year term ends Executive cannot dissolve Senate – but Senate lacks powers of National Assembly ► Senators elected by mayors & town councilors – nine-year terms
► Two major parties: Union pour un mouvement populaire (UMP) ► Started with De Gaulle, became dominant again with Chirac in 1995 ► Includes current president Sarkhozy Parti socialiste (PS) ► Prominent in the 1980s ► Sponsored sweeping reforms ► Key support from civil servants, low-income groups, educated professionals
Issues in France ► Pride in concepts of liberty, equality, fraternity ► Extensive welfare state programs – cradle to grave Excellent public schools – free university education for qualifying stuents Public housing, rent subsidies Minimum wage higher than U.S. – six weeks paid vacation a year ► Polls show 63% of French believe their country is in decline ► Largest number of Muslims (5 million) and Jews (500,000) of any country in Europe ► Antiglobalization movement – Jean-Marie Le Pen -anti- immigrant, anti-semitic sentiment
Germany ► Federal system – 16 states with considerable power ► Parliamentary democracy – similar to Britain and Japan ► Chancellor (executive/head of government) is also head of leading party in Bundestag (legislature) Current chancellor Angela Merkel
► Executive President ► Head of state, weaker position than chancellor ► Role more ceremonial than political ► President chosen by proportional representation in Federal Convention Chancellor ► The “real” leader ► Elected by majority of members of Bundestag ► Forms a cabinet of ministers Bureaucracy ► Powerful in federal, state & local governments
► Legislature: Upper house – Bundesrat ► Officials elected or appointed to regional (Lander) governments) 69 members from 16 states Lower house – Bundestag ► Members elected directly seats– voters choose individual district representatives ► Two ballot electoral system – tends to produce multiple political parties – but minor parties tend not to gain significant members ► Personalized proportional representation – citizens cast two votes on each ballot - allocation of seats in Bundestag depends on portion of votes parties obtain
► Germany often called a party democracy because parties so important in shaping state policy ► Major parties: Social Democratic Party (SPD) – moderate-left Christian Democratic (CDU or CSU in Bavaria) – moderate-right Smaller centrist Free Democratic Party (FDP) Now many smaller parties complicating politics
Issues in Germany ► Continuing issues after unification ► Rapid expansion of EU – at odds with traditional German economy ► Globalization ► Immigration – conflict among ethnic groups Rise of right-wing violence – has education, media addressed Nazi past? ► Gender issues – women lag behind in advancement in business