You won’t find a bigger fan of Charles de Gaulle than me, not so much for his politics but for his understanding of power and how to use it. A man who took his country from the shame of the Vichy regime to a permanent seat at the UN in 5 years is a giant.
I've lived in France for 41 years and I agree with all the sentiments expressed. The 5th Republic has always been a weird hybrid tailor-made for de Gaulle - and it didn't really work for him either. It's also been hijacked by the rise of the extreme right so that people on the left are often forced to vote against their convictions just to keep the bastards out. At least the two-round electoral system allows that.
I've lived in France for 41 years and I agree with all the sentiments expressed. The 5th Republic has always been a weird hybrid tailor-made for de Gaulle - and it didn't really work for him either. It's also been hijacked by the rise of the extreme right so that people on the left are often forced to vote against their convictions just to keep the bastards out. At least the two-round electoral system allows that.
Succinct…. but France’s history is far more than the last 80 years as you know.