- 1958:the constitution of the V th Republic comes into force. The President of the Republic becomes the "keystone" of the regime as he plays a key role. However, the constitution provides that if the president does not obtain a parliamentary majority (National Assembly and Senate), that is to say in the event of cohabitation, his role is then reduced to foreign policy, with the Prime Minister ensuring the internal affairs management.
1986, 1993 and 1997
Characters
Francois Mitterrand
Jacques Chirac
Edouard Balladur
Lionel Jospin
Procedure
President of the Republic since 1981, François Mitterrand had to deal with the "disappointed with socialism", those who did not accept the "turn of rigor", when in 1986, new legislative elections were organized which aimed to renew the deputies of the National Assembly. At the end of this election, which is the first of the Fifth Republic to take place entirely by proportional voting, the right emerges in the majority. Mitterrand must therefore resolve to choose a Prime Minister from the opposition, which he does by appointing the RPR (party of the Rally for the Republic) Jacques Chirac. Despite some clashes at the top of power, particularly on foreign policy, the two heads of state reached common ground and managed to make France speak with one voice. They thus put in place certain customs that can be found in the following cohabitations.
Returning to a socialist assembly during his second term in 1988, Mitterrand was again put in difficulty during the legislative elections of 1993, which saw the deputies of the right become a large majority in the National Assembly. Mitterrand was again forced to appoint an opposition Prime Minister, which he did in the person of Édouard Balladur. This second cohabitation is known as the "velvet cohabitation", due to the cordial relations between the two heads of the executive. This cohabitation lasted until the end of Mitterrand's second term in 1995.
The third cohabitation of the V th République took place during the next term, that of Jacques Chirac, elected in 1995. The president decided in 1997 to dissolve the National Assembly, which was not very favorable to him, although it had a majority on the right. The legislative elections organized to renew the hemicycle are, to everyone's surprise, not favorable to him, since it is a left-wing majority that wins. Chirac is therefore forced to appoint a Prime Minister from the opposition, which he does in favor of Lionel Jospin. The latter remained in office until the end of Chirac's first term in 2002.
Consequences
- 2000:the presidential seven-year term is shortened to five years, making it a mandate similar in duration to that of deputies, and thus reducing the possibility of political cohabitation
- 2002:it was decided to reverse the calendar of the elections, so that the presidential one passes before that of the legislative one (election of the deputies), and to hold these two elections the same month. This process also reduces the chances of cohabitation.