Macron won’t finish his mandate of president. Let me explain why…
The Fifth Republic
The current French political system is known as the Fifth Republic. It was established in 1958, following the end of the Fourth Republic (which was marked by instability and a series of short-lived governments). The Fifth Republic was intended to be more stable, with a strong executive branch and a president who would serve as head of state.
For the most part, this system has worked well. However, there have been some major criticisms in recent years. One of the biggest complaints is that the president has too much power, can bypass the parliament whenever he decides and centralize more and more the powers around him but isn’t accountable to the people except once every 5 years and can stay in power as long as he is seen as the least worst option as the vote is in two turns. The direct vote by citizens to the president allow him to have more weight that the elected groups of deputies. Additionally, critics say that the current system doesn’t allow for true democracy because it gives too much power to special interests and lobbyists.
Why now ?
Last years saw signs of emergence of revolts that couldn’t find resolution neither in the streets or in the elections. So this will come back in one form or another.
What’s next ?
A Return to Monarchy?
One proposed solution is a return to a constitutional monarchy. This would mean having a king as head of state, with a prime minister serving as head of government. This system was in place prior to the French Revolution in 1789 and for 1500 years. So time have shown it is a stable and working solution in France, time tested. The country was founded and prospered under a kingdom. Proponents of this idea argue that it would provide stability and prevent any one person from having too much power. The interests from French to the English monarchy would tend to show that the idea is not completely done in French minds.
A Parliamentary Republic?
Another possibility is a parliamentary republic, similar to those in place in neighboring countries like Ireland and Italy. Under this system, the head of state would be elected by parliament rather than directly by the people. This would theoretically make it easier for different parties to come to power and could help prevent corruption and create more représentativity of aspirations in the governments and prevent the cumul of powers into the hands of one man. This is the most probable resolution.
Conclusion:
France has always been a country in flux, and it seems that change may be on the horizon yet again. What form this change will take remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – the country is at an important crossroads and at a boiling point. Only time will tell what direction France will choose to go in next. Currently nobody thinks it is possible but it will happens.
The only question now is what will be the event that lights the candle …
