THE CHANGING PARTY SYSTEM

The French party system under the Fourth Republic was highly fragmented and polarized. The superimposition of several, largely independent, cleavages, produced a number of spiritual families (Communist, Socialist, Centrist, Right) each represented by a distinct group in Parliament. Since none had enough seats to govern alone, parties could hope only to participate in government coalitions. Typically, coalition formation was initiated after the election, when Parliament convened to select a new Prime Minister who would form a cabinet and present a government programme. Since most participants kept their chances of joining the winning coalition open until the last minute, there was little incentive for them to have an agreed programme or indeed any programme at elections. The organization of ‘parties of notables’ was virtually non-existent and candidates would come forward in elections either on their own initiative or under the sponsorship of local electoral committees.

Under the Fifth Republic, a new pattern of government formation developed. Parties have been forced inexorably into one of two great coalitions. This process of bipolarization was initiated by the emergence of a coherent, lasting coalition of the Right, created to sustain the government's policy in Parliament. This was soon followed by a similar coalition of the Left. Formal government programs are now issued at election time with the support of coalitions of parties that can reasonably expect to have a majority in the National Assembly.