France in the postwar world

France at war’s end Liberation in Aug Under provisional government: –Gen. De Gaulle as premier –Cabinet of Communists, Socialists, and Christian Democrats (MRP) Deep divisions: –Form of government: presidential vs. parliamentary –Secular vs. confessional (non-practicing vs. practicing Catholics) –Social class: Rich vs. poor –Paris v. periphery

Constitutional debate: De Gaulle’s vision: –France as a divided country needs a strong president, able to be an arbiter of politics Political parties and politicians: preference for parliamentary regime – head of government directly accountable to National Assembly Initial outcome: Fourth Republic – –an assembly dominated regime –But Large number of parties in National Assembly chronic problems establishing durable cabinets From , total of 26 cabinets, longest lasting 1.5 years

From Fourth to Fifth Republic The problem of decolonization: –Indochina – withdrawal in 1954 –Algeria – attempt to govern as if part of metropolitan France –By 1958, full scale colonial war –French army rebels, threatens to invade metropolitan France unless de Gaulle brought back to power –De Gaulle summoned, proposes new constitution, approved by 80% in referendum

The Fifth Republic A mixed, Presidential and Parliamentary regime, in which powers of the executive strengthened –President (directly elected since 1965) for 7 year term –Premier, appointed by president but must retain confidence of the National Assembly Constitution makes it difficult for national assembly to censure Effect: –If President’s supporters enjoy majority in the National Assembly, then president able to give overall political direction to government –If opposition forces have majority, then power shifts to premier

Political forces: Cluster into two blocs in the 5 th Republic The moderate right: –Gaullists and others Favour strong institutions, strong presidency, state-directed modernization The left: –Communists –Socialists (eventually the dominant element) –Radicals Favoured parliamentary government, more equal distribution of wealth… From 1980s, retreat from nationalization, public ownership, radical redistribution

The political balance From , the right controls Presidency and National Assembly – –De Gaulle, –Pompidou, –Giscard d’Estaing, From , Socialists (PS) control Presidency & (often) National Assemby –Francois Mitterand From 1995-present –Jacques Chirac as President

Changes in political and social life: Ongoing shift from farms and villages to cities Increasing prosperity but through 1970s, strong support for Communists, who are effective in mobilizing grievances From 1980s onward, easing of older conflicts, –greater cooperation between left and right – e.g. ‘cohabitation’ or power-sharing from, , , –But from 1980s, cont’d support for extreme right: % of popular vote for anti-immigrant Front Nationale

Protest potential: Fifth Republic product of threatened military insurrection 1961 Algerian independence results in attempted coup May, 1968: –Regime nearly toppled by student occupations, general strike

Events of May 1968 Begin with demonstrations protesting limits on visiting hours in women’s residences Spread throughout university system, public institutions with occupation of buildings Result in general strike, massive demonstrations, barricades in streets De Gaulle and his premier (George Pompidou) initially hesitate Protests dissipate when parliament dissolves, new elections called

May 1968 in context Protests, occupations reflect deep-seated grievances –Combine modes and techniques of 1960s (occupations) with modes from French Revolution – barricades in streets Sufficient to make regime more attentive and more responsive – but not completely so Continued protest potential, though rarely manifests on same scale –Cf. 1990s protests against education reform

France today: Narrowing of gap between left and right –Ideological tensions not as sharp Greater gap between established parties and extreme right