Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-02
Its Bosic Weakness


There is reason to doubt that the
nature OF French politics will be changed
In any basic sense by the decision Of
Premier Faure's government to dissolve
the National Assembly. The immediate
effect Of the decision, which apparently
has popular support, Is to advance by
several months the general elections that
normally would have been held next
June. But this development, unless cur
rent signs are misleading, is not likely
TO have much influence for the better on
the instability that has plagued France
ever since the end Of the Second World
War.
OF course, by voting for a new Ma
tional Assembly next month instead Of
In June, the French will escape the pros
pect Of having their Parliament preoc-
cupied with electioneering and campaign
oratory through q long period in which
there will be need for sound decisions on
number of vital domestic and interna-
tional issues. Accordingly, to that extent,
the dissolution decree can hardly fail to
accomplish some good, and the coming
elections may also result in appreciably
increasing the strength of the country's
middle-of-the-road parties. Beyond that,
however, there seems to be little or no
chance for fundamental improvement
OF the type that would take France OF the
political merry-go-round and enable it
to enjoy reasonably long-lived govern
ments.
This Is so because the French govern
ing system labors under two major llandi-
caps, among others: The first Of these is
that the country's 1946 constitution, un-
like our own, does not provide for strong
executive branch. Instead, as 1t has
worked out up to now, 1t endows the Ma
tionai Assembly-which Is theoretically a
legislative body-with sufncient power to
paralyze and topple any incumbent Pre-
mier and his cabinet. Secondly, In addi-
ton to this inherent constitutional weak
ness, France suffers from a great multi
plicity Of political parties (close to a
dozen Of them) whose views range from
the extreme Communist left to the ex-
IRENE De Gaullist right. As a result, since
none Of these parties has yet been able
to win majority of seats, Frances post
war governments have had to be organ
lied on the basis Of shaky Assembly coali-
tons that have been quick to succumb
not only to interparty strife but to intra-
party feuding as we'll discouraging
example Of the latter is the way in which
the dissolution decree has caused bitter
Radicals Socialist split between Mr.. Faure's
faction and the followers of former Pre-
mier Mendes- France.
Insthese circumstances, with even the
relatively conservative parties prone to
fight within themselves (only the Com
munists have remained consistently
united, It is not surprising that France
has seen so many OF its cabinets rise and
fall, In dizzying succession, during the
past decade. Moreover, barring miracle
Of sortS-a most improbable miracle that
would give middle of the-road party
clear majority In next months elections
this condition must be expected to con-
tinue. In any event, the indications are
strong that the new National Assembly
viii be as divided and faction-ridden as
the old one and that 1t will be equally
inclined to vote governments out Of Office
with dismaying frequency.
This is weakness, grave weakness,
that will keep on sapping the national
and international strength Of the French
unless and until they push through con-
stitutional reforms for stronger execu-
tive and try to achieve something COM
parable to the two-party system prevail
ing in Britain and America. It may be
much easier to advocate such action than
to take It. but as long as nothing is done
about the matter, instability will be the
hallmark of government in Paris, and
the entire Atlantic communicated Just
France itself-will suffer from 1t.