Towards a French Sixth Republic?
Nearly 50 years after the creation of the Fifth Republic by General Charles de Gaulle, Nicolas Sarkozy wants to change France’s fundamental institutions. But, with a majority of the public supporting the Fifth Republic's main principles – such as direct election of the president and a strong executive – any institutional rebalancing is unlikely to alter the constitutional structure very much.
PARIS – Nearly 50 years after the creation of the Fifth Republic by General Charles de Gaulle, Nicolas Sarkozy wants to change France’s fundamental institutions. An expert council will send him its proposals by November 1.