01.06.2013 Views

Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and ...

Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and ...

Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

<strong>Neo</strong>-<strong>Bonapartism</strong>? A <strong>parallel</strong> <strong>between</strong> <strong>Nicolas</strong> <strong>Sarkozy</strong> <strong>and</strong> Napoleon III<br />

political animals who were indebted to the government for the restoration of order <strong>and</strong><br />

currently on the wave of an economic boom” (2003). As a result, with a weak Senate <strong>and</strong><br />

Chamber, Napoleon III centralized almost all of the legislative <strong>and</strong> executive powers via<br />

constitutional reforms which were all approved by popular plebiscite. However, the emperor<br />

gradually shifted toward a more parliamentary system starting from the decrees issued in<br />

November 1860. The concessions he made gave more influence to the parliamentary<br />

opposition via the granting of more prerogatives. Yet this reforming was still hesitant; for<br />

example “ministers were deemed responsible, but it was not clear whether they were<br />

responsible to parliament or to the emperor” (Gildea, 2003). His path of constitutional<br />

reforming was thus considered as very limited. This Bonapartist-oligarchic mode of governance<br />

was to some extent revived by <strong>Sarkozy</strong>.<br />

In the context of the Fifth Republic, the weakening of the Parliament <strong>and</strong> the dwindling of the<br />

government are recurrent issue not really created by <strong>Sarkozy</strong>. However, <strong>and</strong> as explained by<br />

Garrigou, “the concentration of power in the Elysée was never as pushed: the administrative<br />

<strong>and</strong> financial reform which put some order within the status of the staff assigned to the<br />

presidency, somehow erased by the increase of the president’s remuneration, realized the<br />

formula of a presidential government” (2008). As a matter of fact, <strong>Sarkozy</strong> inherited of the<br />

semi-presidential system established by the Fifth Republic, with its benefits <strong>and</strong> limitations<br />

regarding presidential prerogatives. He followed at this regard the powerfully built example<br />

provided by the General De Gaulle, <strong>and</strong> in particular this declaration issued during a press<br />

conference in January 1964 as cited by Le Figaro (2009) which remained significant at this<br />

regard: “the indivisible authority of the state is entrusted with the president by the people who<br />

A website dedicated to this project is available starting Dec 7 th 2010 at: http://www.aui.ma/personal/~Y.Assaoui/<br />

22

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!