De Gaulle to Mitterand Development of the French Presidency - Office of Head of Government

The new-style presidency is agreed to be the key institution of the French fifth Republic, in that it helps to ensure the stability and effectiveness of the political system - something that France has been seeking since the Revolution of 1789. Yet, paradoxically, no comprehensive study of the French presidential phenomenon exists. The accumulated experience of 1959-91, extending over the presidential terms of de Gaulle, Pompidou, Giscard d'Estaing and Mitterrand, permits a comparative study of their institutional and personal roles in the political process.;The pre- 1958 presidency and the ways in which practice has diverged from the constitutional provisions are considered first. Then the President's relations with his staff, the Prime Minister and government, the political parties, parliament and the mass media are investigated. Finally, the President's special role in foreign and defence policy, as well as his personal cultural projects, are discussed.