The French Premiership Saga - Constitutional Grey Area or Executive Aggrandizement?

Abstract

The appointment of Michel Barnier as French Prime Minister and the designation of a cabinet even further to the right has led to thousands of protesters rallying across France. Taking a step back from the latest developments, this post looks back to some of the constitutional tensions the events of this summer have exposed. It argues that Emmanuel Macron’s actions following the snap election have relied on a distorted reading of the French constitution. In addition to raising serious legal questions, these actions have also set worrying precedents that arguably fit in a pattern of “executive aggrandizement”.

Keywords

• Democratic Backsliding
• French Constitution
• Presidential Democracy
• Presidential Powers