From 14 May, Emmanuel Macron begins his second term as President. A post that gives the head of state more power in France than in its neighbors in the European Union. The role has some limitations due to the semi-presidential system. In addition to relying on parliamentarians to pass laws, the president “divides” the government with his prime minister. But compared to his counterparts in the European bloc, the French head of state can do almost anything.
When members of the European Union meet to discuss the bloc’s future, the “family photo” taken at the end of the meeting will always have the same characters: the Portuguese prime minister, the German chancellor, and even the Italian prime minister. Even if these countries have presidents, the head of government is really responsible when it comes to making heavy decisions at the international level.
France is one of the exceptions. Despite having a prime minister, Paris is represented abroad by the head of state, who always signs the most important agreements and is the face of the French people abroad. While the president has an almost symbolic role in European neighbors, who remembers the name of the German president during the ?Angela Merkel government? ?, In France, the president is found everywhere, inside and outside the country.
Fifth Republic
Since 1958, when the so-called 5th Republic began, the French Constitution has expanded the powers of the president. This “new Republic”, established during the Algerian War, was decided by General Charles de Gaulle. The country was still traumatized by the Second World War, which ended nearly a decade ago.
During World War II, Albert Lebrun, who was president of France at the time, had no way of stopping the German offensive. And it was De Gaulle who commanded the Liberation of France from a military standpoint, making clear the weakness of the head of state and proposing an extension of the president’s powers as early as 1946. Twelve years later, the 1958 Constitution, still in effect, adopted a semi-presidential system of government.
Currently, the head of state is the highest authority in the political life of the country. Does he represent the country abroad as well as the presidency of the republic, has the right to propose a referendum or even activate the Constitutional Council? If the institution to which he appoints its chairman, considers that a law violates the principles of Magna Carta. In addition, the head of state chooses the prime minister, who will then form the government.
The current owner of the portfolio, Jean Castex, has already warned that he will step down, starting the process of choosing a new prime minister. Since Macron’s re-election, rumors have been swirling that the president wants a woman as head of government, and names like Christine Lagarde, current head of the European Central Bank and former director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), are already under consideration. . In the entire history of France, there was only one woman in this position between 1991 and 1992, Edith Cresson.
Cohabitation
According to the Magna Carta, the president “determines and executes the policy of the nation” as well as guaranteeing the functioning of public authorities and “independence and national integrity”. This means that Macron is the only one capable of waging war, including using nuclear weapons.
The French president can also assume “extraordinary” powers in the event of a “serious and urgent” threat, giving him an almost unlimited scope for action, even dissolving the National Assembly. There have already been five dissolutions of Parliament in the country, the last of which was in 1997 by a rokambolic decision of Jacques Chirac.
At the time, the then head of state had a comfortable majority in the House, but his government was losing its popularity and the president thought early elections would be the best solution. But he did not bet.
The right-wing president lost his majority and was eventually forced to appoint socialist Lionel Jospin as prime minister, creating a cohabitation regime that lasted until 2002. During this period, Chirac “shared” the direction of the executive and negotiated with the government. the proposals of a left-wing prime minister.
Legislative elections could get Macron in trouble
Theoretically, the president depends on the outcome of the June legislative elections to rule. The head of state cannot implement his measures unless he has proxies to approve the laws his government has introduced.
Legislative elections generally confirm the presidential election trend. This was the case in 2017 when Macron won a majority in Parliament despite being elected by a recently formed party, A República em Marcha (LREM).
Despite the president’s victory at the polls, the result in the second round (24) this Sunday, with votes from the far right (48%), showed the country more divided than ever before. Legislative election may further exacerbate this division. Marine Le Pen is already mobilizing his supporters for the election, which he describes as a “great war”.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the radical left, who came third in the first round of the presidential election, dreams of a new life together. He has already declared that he wants to become the next prime minister of France, to put an end to what he calls the “presidential monarchy”. Mélenchon is part of the discontent calling for the establishment of the 6th Republic in France with the establishment of a new Constitution that would give less power to the head of state.
source: Noticias
