Do you understand French politics?

[buritobr]

Unlike other republics in Europe, France has a president who has real power. Unlike republics in the American continent, France has a prime minister.

In the international meetings, Hollande meets Merkel. Most of the people don't know the name of the French prime minister and the name of the German president.

We hear more about the French prime minister during the cohabitation period. When Lionel Jospin was the prime minister, we used to hear more about him than about Jaques Chirac. Since 2002, few people outside France know the name of the French prime minister.

How does that system work? What is the role of the president of France? What is the role of the prime minister of France? It is not easy to understand.

[buritobr]

The Fifth Republic system is very ad hoc and the kinks have had to be worked out by actually trying things.  Can the Republic, a Gaullist power vehicle, survive without its founder?  Let's get rid of Charles de Gaulle and find out.  Can the Republic survive a non-Gaullist President?  Let's see what Valery Giscard d'Estaing does with the government.  Can the strong presidential system survive with a President opposed to its very existence?  Let's see what Mitterand gets up to.  What happens with a Socialist President and a Gaullist PM?  Let's have Mitterand and Chirac figure things out.  What happens when a fascist makes it into the top two presidential runoff?  Let's hope the electorate isn't terrible and let the voters decide.

Are you saying that the role of the president and the role of the prime minister had been changing since 1959?

[buritobr]

How does that system work? What is the role of the president of France? What is the role of the prime minister of France? It is not easy to understand.

In theory, the president represents the country abroad and is responsible for foreign policy, and the prime minister is responsible for domestic policy. That's how it ended up working during the cohabitation periods.

In practice when the president also has support from the assembly, he is almost free to chose who he wants as prime minister and to dismiss him whenever he wants. So the prime minister is more likely to act like a subordinate, even on internal affairs.

Thank you