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Referendum Practice in France

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The Politics of Referendum Use in European Democracies

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Abstract

This chapter covers an analysis of referendum practice in France – a semi-presidential majoritarian democracy where ten referendums were held between 1950 and 2017. It provides an outline of available referendum provisions and the context in which these were institutionalized and used. It analyzes these practices on the basis of six independent variables: type of democracy, number of veto players, past referendum experience, public demands, political values and strategic interests. The chapter shows that French referendum practice is strongly embedded in the nature of its majoritarian polity, in which the president holds a rather dominant position vis-à-vis parliament. Consequently, referendums are primarily decision-promotive, held to affirm the position of the president and to mediate divisions over controversial issues within and between the two dominant political party-blocks.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Conseil Constitutionnel (2015). Texte Intégral de la Constitution du 4 Octobre 1958 en Vigueur; International Constitutional Law (2014). France – Constitution.

  2. 2.

    Article 88-5 is not applicable to accessions that resulted from an Intergovernmental Conference that was decided by the European Council before 1 July 2004. This limitation was introduced to prevent that a referendum needed to be held on Croatia’s accession to the EU accession (Hillion 2011, 208–209).

  3. 3.

    Wanlin, A. (1.2.2005). ‘Will the French Vote Non’. Centre for European Reform. http://www.cer.org.uk/publications/archive/bulletin-article/2005/will-french-vote-non (accessed 26 February 2015).

  4. 4.

    Balladur, E. (2007). Comité de Réflexion et de Proposition sur la Modernisation et le Rééquilibrage des Institutions de la Ve République: Une Ve République plus Démocratique. 29 October 2007. La Documentation Française: Fayard.

  5. 5.

    Legifrance (6.12.2013). Loi Organique n° 2013-1114 du 6 Décembre 2013 portant Application de l’Article 11 de la Constitution.

  6. 6.

    Clavel, G. (21.11.2013). ‘Le Référendum d’Initiative “Populaire” Voté mais Toujours Inapplicable’. Le Huffington Post France. LexisNexis.

  7. 7.

    These only include referendums that were held in France as a whole; the referendums held only in France’s overseas territories are excluded from the analysis, as I only focus on referendums held in sovereign states that are part of the EU.

  8. 8.

    Chrisafis, A. (3.7.2017). ‘Emmanuel Macron vows to transform France in Versailles speech’. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/03/emmanuel-macron-to-set-out-his-vision-for-french renaissance (accessed 19 May 2018).

  9. 9.

    Legifrance (6.12.2013).

  10. 10.

    Referendums were held in some of France’s historical regions. In 1527, the French King Francis I (1494–1547) held a popular vote in Burgundy on whether to transfer the area to the Spanish King as the Treaty of Madrid obliged him to. A few years later, Francis’ son Henry II (1519–1559) in 1522 organised a popular vote in Verdun, Toul and Metz before their annexation (see Morel and Qvortrup 2018, 12).

  11. 11.

    In 2017, there was a drop is levels of distrust, especially of parliament and government, but this drop could be due to the fact that for this year the Spring survey was used instead of the Autumn survey, and also to the French elections that took place in the Spring of 2017.

  12. 12.

    Compared to an EU average of 70%; ISSP 2004.

  13. 13.

    Compared to an EU average of 65% (Yet, not all EU countries are included), ISSP 2014.

  14. 14.

    Compared to an EU average of 63%, EES 2009.

  15. 15.

    Institut Français d’Opinion Publique (2011). Les Français et le Référendum d’Initiative Populaire. Résultats Détaillés. 11 March 2011. http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/1451-1-study_file.pdf (accessed 3 February 2015).

  16. 16.

    Article 3 (18.11.2014). ‘Le Référendum d’Initiative Citoyenne dans les Programmes des Partis’. http://www.article3.fr/informations/le-ric-dans-les-programmes-des-partis (accessed 30 October 2015).

  17. 17.

    Whitney, C.R. (5.5.1995). ‘Chirac Vows French Vote on Europe Treaty’. The New York Times. LexisNexis.

  18. 18.

    Deutsche Welle (8.2.2008). ‘Ignoring the Public, French Parliament Approves EU Treaty’. http://www.dw.com/en/ignoring-the-public-french-parliament-approves-eu-treaty/a-3114579 (accessed 26 February 2015).

  19. 19.

    Vucheva, E. (30.10.2007). ‘Majority of French Want Referendum on New EU Treaty’. AFP. LexisNexis.

  20. 20.

    Editorial translation.

  21. 21.

    Free translation by author; Pompidou, G. (1972). Georges Pompidou Présente le Référendum sur l’Élargissement de l’Europe (video). Institut National de l’Audiovisuel. 21 April 1972. http://fresques.ina.fr/jalons/fiche-media/InaEdu05116/georges-pompidou-presente-le-referendum-sur-l-elargissement-de-l-europe.html (accessed 29 October 2015).

  22. 22.

    Drozdiak, W. (2.7.1992). ‘Mitterrand Sets European Treaty Vote for Sept. 20, Appeals for Support’. The Washington Post. LexisNexis.

  23. 23.

    Le Monde (14.7.2004). ‘Chirac: un Référendum sur la Constitution Européenne en 2005’. http://olivier.hammam.free.fr/sujets/documents/rer-d/07-14%2001B.htm (accessed 6 June 2015).

  24. 24.

    Legifrance (5.10.1988). Décret du 5 Octobre 1988 Décidant de Soumettre un Projet de Loi au Référendum, 12,569.

  25. 25.

    Rocard, M. (1988). Allocution Michel Rocard Premier Ministre (video). Institut National de l’Audiovisuel. 5 October 1988. http://www.ina.fr/video/CAC89011432 (accessed 30 October 2015).

  26. 26.

    Samuel, H. (28.2.2012). ‘France election 2012: Nicolas Sarkozy’s EU fiscal pact referendum copout’. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/nicolas-sarkozy/9109563/France-election-2012-Nicolas-Sarkozys-EU-fiscal-pact-referendum-copout.html (accessed 15 February 2018).

  27. 27.

    Free translation by author; Le Monde (23.3.2005). ‘M. Chirac: le Référendum n’est. pas un “Plébiscite”’. http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2005/03/23/pour-m-chirac-le-referendum-n-est-pas-un-plebiscite_630453_3214.html (accessed 6 June 2015).

  28. 28.

    Le Monde (14.7.2004). ‘Chirac: un Référendum sur la Constitution Européenne en 2005’. http://olivier.hammam.free.fr/sujets/documents/rer-d/07-14%2001B.htm (accessed 6 June 2015).

  29. 29.

    Le Monde (23.3.2005).

  30. 30.

    Varley, G. (19.5.1995). ‘Chirac Pledges more Power to the People’. AFP. LexisNexis.

  31. 31.

    Idem.

  32. 32.

    EurActiv (3.4.2008). ‘Sarkozy in U-turn over Turkey Referendum’. http://www.euractiv.com/enlargement/sarkozy-turn-turkey-referendum/article-171300 (accessed 30 October 2015).

  33. 33.

    See endnote 5.

  34. 34.

    L’Express (10.1.2012). ‘Le Référendum d’Initiative Populaire va Enfin Voir le Jour’. LexisNexis.

  35. 35.

    The New York Times (6.11.1988). ‘Voters Snub Mitterrand, Rocard on New Caledonia referendum’. LexisNexis.

  36. 36.

    Greenhouse, S. (21.8.1988). ‘France Announces Accord on New Caledonia’. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/21/world/france-announces-accord-on-new-caledonia.html (accessed 29 October 2015).

  37. 37.

    IPS (7.5.1992). ‘France: Division over European Union Treaty, Referendum Likely’. LexisNexis.

  38. 38.

    Standard Eurobarometer Reports 33–37.

  39. 39.

    Henley, J. (25.9.2000). ‘Politicians Blamed for Stirring up Apathy in France’. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/sep/25/worlddispatch.comment1 (accessed 29 October 2015).

  40. 40.

    Jeffries, S. (1.10.2000). ‘Chirac Sulks as Scandals Grow’. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/oct/01/stuartjeffries.theobserver (accessed 29 October 2015).

  41. 41.

    Fitchett, J. (25.9.2000). ‘France Shrugs As Voters Back 5-Year Term For President’. The New York Times. LexisNexis; Henley, J. (25.9.2000). ‘Politicians Blamed for Stirring up Apathy in France’. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/sep/25/worlddispatch.comment1 (accessed 29 October 2015).

  42. 42.

    IPS (7.5.1992). ‘France: Division over European Union Treaty, Referendum Likely’. LexisNexis.

  43. 43.

    UMP (2002). Programme de l’Union pour la Majorite Presidentielle (UMP) pour les Elections Legislatives de 2002.

  44. 44.

    Broughton, P.D. (15.7.2004). ‘Chirac Calls Referendum on New EU Constitution’. The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/1467103/Chirac-calls-referendum-on-new-EU-constitution.html (accessed 20 March 2015).

  45. 45.

    Standard Eurobarometer Report 61.

  46. 46.

    Bourmaud, F.X. (25.9.2017) ‘Emmanuel Macron agite la menace du référendum’. Le Figaro. http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2017/09/25/01002-20170925ARTFIG 00302-macron-agite-la-menace-du-referendum.php (accessed 14 February 2018).

  47. 47.

    FN (2012). Programme Politique du Front National.

  48. 48.

    EurActiv (25.3.2015). ‘Following Cameron, Marine Le Pen Pledges EU Exit Referendum’. http://www.euractiv.com/sections/elections/following-cameron-marine-le-pen-pledges-eu-exit-referendum-313229 (accessed 26 September 2015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Director of Knowledge Management, The Broker, Den Haag, The Netherlands

    Saskia Hollander

  2. Research fellow, Department of Public Administration and Political Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Saskia Hollander

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Hollander, S. (2019). Referendum Practice in France. In: The Politics of Referendum Use in European Democracies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04197-7_5

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