The National Rally is preparing for it, the representatives of the majority fear it, cohabitation could make its return to political and parliamentary life.
After the political earthquake caused by the dissolution of the National Assembly, all political forces have launched into the early legislative elections, the first round of which will take place on June 30 and the second on July 7. At the end of the second ballot, if the presidential majority fails to maintain itself in the National Assembly, the President of the Republic will have to resolve to create a government of cohabitation. But what is it about? And what exactly does this mean for the executive and for our institutions?
In France, parliamentary debates have been at a standstill since midnight on Sunday evening, the time at which the dissolution of the Assembly and the cessation of the work of the 577 deputies who make it up were recorded. This parliamentary work will only be able to resume at the end of the early legislative elections and there is no guarantee that what has been stopped will have to be resumed. The bills will be set aside if the face of the Assembly is drastically changed, since the texts were until then supported by the current majority or the government.
Concretely, when there is cohabitation, this means that the presidential majority is not the parliamentary majority. This happens when a political force obtains more parliamentary seats than the group to which the head of state belongs.
An opposition president
France may find itself in this situation given the National Rally’s score in the last European elections, if the far right wins the legislative elections. President Emmanuel Macron then has no choice, he must appoint a new Prime Minister belonging to the majority party in the Assembly. If this happens, the president and the deputies of his group themselves become opposition actors since most of the decisions fall to the Prime Minister who, in addition to directing the government’s action, determines the country’s policy, ensures the execution of laws and national defense.
In political debates, cohabitation between the President of the Republic and an opposition government can put a stop to current draft laws. The new head of government can in fact choose to throw in the trash the texts which have not yet been debated. The unemployment insurance reform project, that on public broadcasting or even that on the end of life could therefore be withdrawn from the debates.
The president, however, retains his own powers, such as the possibility of dissolving the assembly again, although he will have to wait at least one year to do so. He can also appoint the Prime Minister of his choice (respecting the political color of the majority) and continues to chair the Council of Ministers. But its influence on decisions for the country is greatly diminished.
A case that already has precedents
In the history of the Fifth Republic, cohabitation at the head of state has already taken place three times: twice when François Mitterrand presided over the country, the first time between 1986 and 1988 and the second time between 1993 and 1995. The third cohabitation dates back to Jacques Chirac who had to “share power” between 1997 and 2002.