De Gaulle: President Of The French Republic
De Gaulle as President of the French republic is often seen as a great patriot because of what he did for the country and its people, his reinvention of the french republic saved france from the repetitive failure of the fourth republic. his presidency is often criticised as being a dictatorship.The manner in which de Gaulle rose to power is a perfect example of how he established himself as a powerful executive: he was a military general with the necessary charisma to successfully advocate a new constitution in which the executive was no longer less powerful than the Parliament; the president of France was elected via electoral college rather than chosen by the Parliament and would later be chosen via direct election. A further technicality
of the referendum by which the new constitution was approved was the implied threat of a military coup if de Gaulle’s constitution (and, by association, de Gaulle himself) were not accepted in the referendum, After the brokers strikes of May 1968 had caused French public opinion of de Gaulle to weaken, de Gaulle exercised his constitutional power to dissolve the National Assembly. What inevitably came from this action of executive power is a relevant example of how the presidential powers assigned by the 1958 constitution could be both detrimental for one but beneficial for the system as a whole.
De Gaulle placed himself in the midst of the crisis, calling on the nation to suspend the government and create a new constitutional system. De Gaulle was carried to power by the inability of the parliament to choose a government, popular protest, and the last parliament of the Fourth Republic voting for their dissolution and the convening of a constitutional convention.
The Fourth Republic suffered from a lack of political consensus, a weak executive, and governments forming and falling in quick succession since the Second World War. With no party or coalition able to sustain a parliamentary majority, Prime Ministers found themselves unable to risk their political position with unpopular reforms.
De Gaulle and his supporters proposed a system of strong presidents elected for seven-year terms. The President under the proposed constitution would have executive powers to run the country in consultation with a prime minister whom he would appoint. On 1 June 1958, Charles de Gaulle was appointed head of the government
of the referendum by which the new constitution was approved was the implied threat of a military coup if de Gaulle’s constitution (and, by association, de Gaulle himself) were not accepted in the referendum, After the brokers strikes of May 1968 had caused French public opinion of de Gaulle to weaken, de Gaulle exercised his constitutional power to dissolve the National Assembly. What inevitably came from this action of executive power is a relevant example of how the presidential powers assigned by the 1958 constitution could be both detrimental for one but beneficial for the system as a whole.
De Gaulle placed himself in the midst of the crisis, calling on the nation to suspend the government and create a new constitutional system. De Gaulle was carried to power by the inability of the parliament to choose a government, popular protest, and the last parliament of the Fourth Republic voting for their dissolution and the convening of a constitutional convention.
The Fourth Republic suffered from a lack of political consensus, a weak executive, and governments forming and falling in quick succession since the Second World War. With no party or coalition able to sustain a parliamentary majority, Prime Ministers found themselves unable to risk their political position with unpopular reforms.
De Gaulle and his supporters proposed a system of strong presidents elected for seven-year terms. The President under the proposed constitution would have executive powers to run the country in consultation with a prime minister whom he would appoint. On 1 June 1958, Charles de Gaulle was appointed head of the government