Elections in a Semi-Presidential Regime. Lessons for France
Les élections en régime semi-présidentiel. Enseignements pour la France
Résumé
The study of the behaviour of electors in semi-presidential regimes allows us not only to measure the balance of forces between the President and Parliament, but also to understand why power shifts towards one or the other. Based on electoral data, the article shows that the risk of a shift toward authoritarianism is much stronger when the President occupies a prominent place, as is the case in France. It also shows that a more proportional voting system and a slight modification of the electoral calendar would allow the French Parliament to occupy a central place in the political life of the country.