French President Nicolas Sarkozy wins constitution battle by single vote

The Telegraph ^ | 7/22/2008 | Henry Samuel in Paris

[bruinbirdman]

when the sweeping changes that he insists will curb his powers and reinvigorate parliament were passed by a single vote

Deputies and senators from both houses of parliament gasped when the outcome was announced at the gilded chateau of Versailles, with 539 votes for and 357 against the constitutional bill, which required a three-fifths majority to go through.

Only one opposition Socialist voted in favour of the reform - the former culture minister, Jacques Lang, whose support proved decisive.

Mr Sarkozy said he was "delighted" by the vote. "It is democracy that has won," said the President on his way back from a tense trip to Ireland.

In recent days he won over a handful of recalcitrant Right-wingers from his UMP party. Defeat would have been unprecedented since the birth of the Fifth Republic in 1958, and would have knocked the wind out of Mr Sarkozy's reform drive and set a morose tone for his second year in power.

The outcome gives the prime minister François Fillon a new lease of life, amid suggestions that he would have been ousted by Christmas if the vote had gone the other way.

Socialists had lambasted the bill for failing to change the voting system for the Senate – controlled by the Right for 50 years –and for turning France into a "monocracy".

Notably, the reform will allow the President to speak before parliament for the first time in an annual State of the Union-style address, but it limits his time in office to two five-year terms while boosting parliament's powers, enabling it to veto major presidential appointments.

The reform restricts the use of the government's so-called parliamentary "nuclear" option, which currently allows it to push through legislation without a debate.

[bruinbirdman]

"President Nicolas Sarkozy has won a high-risk bid to rewrite France's constitution "

The Sixth Republic?

[goldstategop]

The reforms are meant to partially reverse DeGaulle's centralizing of powers in the Presidency in response to the crisis of the Fourth Republic.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[mdefranc]

What constitutional amendments could be passed in the United States?

[PGalt]

Interesting. Thanks for posting.

[Lancey Howard]

Okay. I don’t know or care much about the details of this vote but the socialists are distressed so it must be a good thing for France’s hopes of recovery from Democrat-style socialism and mediocrity.

[mkjessup]

What constitutional amendments could be passed in the United States?

Damn few.

[Bondesman]

On amendment that passed with out any fan fair or notice was the 25th Amendment. ‘The Amendment a novel’ http://www.fitzgeraldbook.com/ is a great read on the subject.

[ValerieTexas]

French President Nicolas Sarkozy wins constitution battle by single vote

He may be the President of France, but I doubt he is French.

[wardaddy]

ya'll know the rules!

Mrs Sarkozy

I bet she ends up with trouser sickness.

[Cincinna]

FRENCH POLITICS AND CULTURE LIST PING! If you would like to add your name to this List, please FReepmail me.

Thanks to bbm for posting this.

Interesting that the single critical vote for passing this reform legislation came from Jack Lang, former Minister of Culture and longtime member of the Socialist Party.

Francois Hollande, chairman of the PS, and former “companion” of Segolene Royal has already begun the trashing of Jack Lang. Bad move...Jack Lang still remains one of the most popular political figures in France.

[bruinbirdman]

"with 539 votes for and 357 against the constitutional bill, which required a three-fifths majority to go through."

Now we know where the 60% majority to overcome a filibuster in the Senate came from.

What does The Constitution say about 3/5?

yitbos

[ScaniaBoy]

France can now approve the accession of new members into the European Union under certain conditions by parliamentary ratification instead of through a referendum. This point lost Mr Sarkozy the support of several members of his own party.

Bad if true, and it can explain the vote cast by the europhile Jack Lang-However, the Swedish web-page Europaportalen (www.europaportalen.se) who usually is very well informed on European and EU affairs (not synonymous - the one is a continent, the other a political construct) has another interpretation:

"Among other things, if the revision is accepted, any country who wants to become a member of the EU - eg Turkey - be approved by the parliament, but also by a referendum in France. Also, the amendment gives a possibility for the people (a tenth of the voting population) and the parliament (a fifth of the MPs) to initiate a referendum. Presently, the President is the only one with those powers."

I will have to find out which of the news sources are correct. However, if the power to call a referendum had been with the people already this spring, the so called Lisbon treaty would never have passed.

Apparently, a similar reform will take place in Austria if the socialists and the FPÖ (Jürg Heider's old party) win the upcoming election. (One election where I will not cross my fingers for a conservative victory. But then the Austrian christian-democrats are at best CINO.)

interesting, because this will mean that in the future, any enlargement or EU treaty change will have to contend with referenda not only in Ireland but also in France and Austria.

(That's the good thing. The bad thing is that the Lisbon treaty will allow changes to the treaty without having to got through a formal treaty revision. The constitutional changes taking place in various European countries may be too late. The trap door is about to fall shut.)

[wideawake]

Now we know where the 60% majority to overcome a filibuster in the Senate came from.

What possible connection could there be between the 60% requirement in France for amending the Constitution and the 60% Senate rule for cloture on a legislative debate?

What does The Constitution say about 3/5?

The Constitution says that the Senate is allowed to make its own rules governing its legislative sessions.

[SunkenCiv]

:') He's Hungarian descent I think. Thanks Val and Cincinna.

the reform will allow the President to speak before parliament for the first time in an annual State of the Union-style address, but it limits his time in office to two five-year terms while boosting parliament's powers, enabling it to veto major presidential appointments. The reform restricts the use of the government's so-called parliamentary "nuclear" option, which currently allows it to push through legislation without a debate.

Interesting changes. No wonder the Socialists were against it. :')

[Clemenza]

Not nearly enough up top or in the back for my tastes, but still a fine looking woman in her 40s.

President Nick, on the other hand, is rather homely to say the least. Kissinger yadda yadda ultimate aphrodisiac yadda yadda...

[reg45]

Is it racist to say that she (Carla Bruni-Sarkozy) is better looking than Michelle Obama?

[reg45]

but I doubt he is French

If you are referring to his ancestry, you are correct. His ancestors came from Hungary, hence the name "Sarkozy".