French Fifth Republic

The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on October 5, 1958. The Fifth Republic emerged from the ashes of the French Fourth Republic, replacing a weak and factional parliamentary government with a stronger, more centralized semi-presidential system.

After De Gaulle

De Gaulle was succeeded by Georges Pompidou (1969–1974), Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1974–1981), François Mitterrand (1981–1995), and Jacques Chirac (since 1995).

Related Topics:
Georges Pompidou - 1969 - 1974 - Valéry Giscard d'Estaing - 1981 - François Mitterrand - 1995 - Jacques Chirac

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Since 1970, there have been minor changes to the Constitution: removal of sections discussing the now defunct "French community", setting the length of the presidential term to 5 years like that of Parliament, establishing workable rules for the criminal responsibility of ministers for acts within their functions, and enabling some powers to be transferred to the European Union.

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The Fifth Republic, with a president with significant official functions and a great political clout, is sometimes criticized as being "monarchic". François Mitterrand famously criticized De Gaulle's way of governing as being a "permanent coup d'état". Many, especially on the Left such as Arnaud Montebourg or Les Verts argue that a new constitution should be drafted and a Sixth republic should be formed. However, there is little sign that such a change may happen any time soon.

Related Topics:
François Mitterrand - Coup d'état - Left - Arnaud Montebourg - Les Verts

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