The Fifth French Republic

First published in 1960 and this revised edition in 1965, The Fifth French Republic tries to place the French Constitution of 1958 in its political context. It discusses themes like background to the Constitution; the republican tradition; prelude to the Fifth Republic; nature of the constitution; the electoral system and French electoral habits; institutions and parties of the Fifth Republic; politics of the Fifth Republic; the presidential sector in terms of community, Algeria, Defence and foreign affairs; and the personality of the Fifth Republic, to understand the nature of the evolution of "de Gaulle's Republic" and the political climate that it has produced. This book is a must read for students and scholars of French politics, French history, European politics, and international relations.

Dorothy Pickles

Part I: Background to the Constitution 1. The Republican Tradition 2. Prelude to the Fifth Republic 3. The Nature of the Constitution Part II: Institutions and Parties of the Fifth Republic 4. The Electoral System and French Electoral Habits 5. Parties 6. Parliament 7. The Relations between Government and Parliament 8. The Presidency Part III: The Politics of the Fifth Republic 9. The Presidential Sector i) The Community 10. The Presidential Sector ii) Algeria 11. The Presidential Sector iii) Defence and Foreign 12. The Personality of the Fifth Republic Appendix: The French Constitution of October 1958 Index