At first glance, France is a good place to live in when looking through a governmental lens. Elections are free and fair and there is a good dynamic air among the public. However, France is not a full democracy, rather, it has a flawed democracy. France has a "semi-presidential" system; a dual executive system. France has both a president alongside a Prime Minister and a cabinet. This has led to years of representative problems, and can only lead to an interest in other systems of government.
The French president holds considerable power, often been called the most powerful political man in Europe. One reason for this is that he holds significant influence in authority in the fields of national security and foreign policy. His greatest power, however, is that he can pick the Prime Minister. The French National Assembly, which is the lower house of the bicameral French parliament, the upper house being the Senate, has the sole power to dismiss the Prime Minister's government, so the president is forced to name a Prime Minister that can garner the support of a majority in the assembly, but the elections for Prime Minister have been held a handful of weeks after the presidential elections so it is all but guarantee that the Prime Minister in the assembly will support the president roles and policies.
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| President Emmanuel Macron (left) with Prime Minister Jean Castex (right) |
The attraction to other systems of government, however, not only stems from a desire to change the current system of government but from France's reception of U.S. social theories. The new director of the Paris Opera received heavy backlash from far-right leaders after he said he wanted to diversify its staff and ban blackface, which he was claimed to have absorbed from a decade of observing American culture. Mass protests have also spotted French soil, which was claimed to have been inspired by the killing of George Floyd, in opposition of President Macron's appointment of an interior minister who has been previously accused of rape, as well as other officials who publically criticize the #MeToo movement. The French people are likely reaching breaking point. Their flawed democracy doesn't function the way a full democracy would, and because of that, their government doesn't represent the people's interests.
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| French citizens protest police brutality, mirroring the protests seen in the U.S. |
When the presidents' will is a decisive factor in understanding any countries current politics, it is a clear sign that something is wrong. The president and its parliamentary majority barely need to negotiate with the opposition when passing laws. Due to this lack of negotiation with opposing parties, positions have become more polarized. The far left has submitted dozens of thousands of amendments in an attempt to obstruct the lawmaking process. To combat this, the current government has been using a constitutional tool described in the French constitution. In article 49, paragraph three, the French constitution allows the government to impose the adoption of a text by the assembly, immediately without a vote, that the assembly cannot oppose without toppling the government through a motion of no confidence. This means that the government can compel the majority if they are reluctant to adopt a text and also to accelerate the legislative process, which can end any obstruction from the opposition. Quite frankly, it seems unfair and undemocratic.
Boucart, Théo. “France Has a Serious Democratic Deficit. This Is Why We Should All Be Worried.” The New Federalist. The New Federalist, March 30, 2020. https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/france-has-a-serious-democratic-deficit-this-is-why-we-should-all-be?lang=fr.
Onishi, Norimitsu. “France Sees an Existential Threat from American Campuses,” February 9, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/world/europe/france-threat-american-universities.html.
“Semi-Presidential Systems.” Accessed February 10, 2021. https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756223/obo-9780199756223-0271.xml.
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