1962 French presidential election referendum
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Do you approve of the bill submitted to the French people by the President of the Republic and relating to the election of the President of the Republic by universal suffrage? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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A referendum on the method of the election of the president was held in
Background
In the
The presidential office in the Third and Fourth republic was largely ceremonial, with most executive power vested in the President of the Council of Ministers, a more powerful analogue to the present-day
Proposal and debate
- See 1962 French legislative election for more about the French politics of that time.
De Gaulle soon preferred to be elected by direct popular vote, which would give him a stronger political position, and proposed that the Constitution be amended.[4]
The referendum was highly controversial. Part of the controversy concerned the constitutional processes for modifying the Constitution.
Many legal scholars and politicians disagreed with this application of Article 11, which they felt was unconstitutional, while
Many members of the National Assembly were also very unhappy about the situation. On 4 October 1962, the Assembly passed a motion of no confidence in the Government,[10] resulting in the automatic resignation of the Prime Minister (per article 49-2); this was the only successful vote of no-confidence of the Fifth Republic.[11] The vote was supported by, among others, former prime ministers[12] Paul Reynaud and Guy Mollet, who severely criticized the referendum.[13] De Gaulle dissolved the Assembly within a few days,[14] thus provoking legislative elections in November, and appointed Georges Pompidou again.
Results
Choice | Metropolitan France | Total | |||
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Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
For | 12,809,363 | 61.8 | 13,150,516 | 62.3 | |
Against | 7,932,695 | 38.2 | 7,974,538 | 37.7 | |
Invalid/blank votes | 559,758 | – | 569,509 | – | |
Total | 21,301,816 | 100 | 21,694,563 | 100 | |
Registered voters | 27,582,113 | – | 28,185,478 | – | |
Source: Nohlen & Stöver |
Aftermath
Since the referendum was positive, the mode of election of the president changed, and Charles de Gaulle remains the only president of France elected by an electoral college. Charles de Gaulle was reelected in 1965, this time by direct suffrage.
References
- ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
- ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p685
- ^ See Article 6 of the 1958 Constitution. Most versions of the constitution available online and in books are not the original version, but some later amended version.
- ^ See the radiophonic speech Archived 27 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine to the nation of 20 September 1962 by Charles de Gaulle, announcing the forthcoming referendum.
- ^ ISBN 0-19-507034-8, chapter III
- ^ French Senate, Le conflit du référendum de 1962("The conflict of the referendum of 1962")
- ISBN 2-260-00378-8: Ainsi s'explique le secret de son obstination à obtenir par le référendum inconstitutionnel de 1962 cette réforme ("Thus is explained [De Gaulle's] obstination to obtain this reform by the unconstitutional referendum of 1962")
- ^ See decision 62-20 DC Archived 10 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine from the Constitutional Council.
- ^ Decree 62-1127 of 2 October 1962, preceded by a letter from Prime Minister Georges Pompidou to President Charles de Gaulle proposing him to submit to a referendum. following article 11 of the Constitution, a bill changing the method for electing the President of France.
- ^ Proceedings of the National Assembly, 4 October 1962, second sitting; vote tally on p. 3268. p. 38 in the PDF file
- ^ La motion de censure : véritable moyen de contrôle ? ("The no-confidence vote: true means of control?")
- ^ More precisely: during the Third and Fourth Republic, the position corresponding to the prime minister was known as Président du conseil des ministres ("president of the Council of ministers"), shortened to Président du conseil.
- ^ See debates of the National Assembly on 4 October 1962: first sitting, second sitting.
- ^ Decree of 9 October 1962 dissolving the National Assembly
External links
- For references to constitutional articles, see the official translation Archived 13 March 2013 at the French National Assembly.
Further reading
- Table ronde : la réforme de 1962, with Gilles Le Béguec, Pierre Sudreau, Jean Donnedieu de Vabres, Jean Foyer, Jean-Marcel Jeanneney, Parlement[s], Revue d'histoire politique, n° HS 1 2004/3, pp. 23–43, L'Harmattan,