POUR SON AVENIR

Not only were greater powers concentrated in the President's hands, but it was assumed that he and the National Assembly majority would be of the same political complexion permanent Gaullist majority.

French capitalism needed strong government of a Bonapartist character to meet the threat from the working class. While paying lip-service to the will of the people, great powers were concentrated in the executive. Above all the working-class parties had to be excluded from government and confined to the role of a more or less loyal opposition In fact the Socialist Party, under Gry Mollet be s words one election slogans, 'the vanguard of the Fifth Republic The Communist Party, while claiming to be opposed Gaullism, modified its stand when de Gaulle began pursuing an anti-American policy of peaceful co-existence with the Soviet Union and eastern Europe. Stalinists had, in any case, held back the working class during the crisis in May 1958, precipitated by the settler and army revolt in Algeria. And they openly supported the regime when it was threatened by a military putsch in 1961. In 1968, when the regime could have been toppled during the May-June General Strike, it once again threw all its weight behind the preservation of the status quo The present common pro gramme of reforms and the electoral coalition with the Socialist Party and the Fabre Radicals, capitalien party, represents its willingness frameworkDower of the Bonapartist exercise within the Constitution of 1958.

The Gaullists, for their part have no intention of relinquishof here bene March pain, ing power, even in the event victory at March polls. The powers exercised by ThP President give them the whip hand. —to increase their. dependence on the President. Deputies are supposed to vote in their personal capacity and not to be bound by mandates from their party under Article 27.

This is intended to reduce party discipline, especially on the part of the opposition anti-Gaullist parties and to enable the President (or his appointed Prime Minister) to appeal over the heads of the party organization directly to the members of parliament.

Everything is arranged to downgrade parliament while not discarding it altogether and to perpetuate Gaullist rule without flagrant abandonment of the old forms of bourgeois parliamentarism.

In the ought election in which Gaullists and their opponents were evenly balanced the President's role would be crucial since he chooses the Prime Minister.

Even within the letter of the Constitution, the President could make it difficult for a left coalition and meet eve be formed make more difficult for it to govern Appealing to the Constitution and to the same clause about 'national sovereignty belonging to the people' as the soon force a Partissolution of Communist Party, he could 'the Nation' initiate change in the Constitution The CP and its electoral partners would presumably be quite happy to sit in a cabinet presided over by Pompidou and accept this Constitution They are hoping that, in the event of an electoral defeat prepared to do the same. of the Gaullists, he would be Of course it could come to a trial of strength in which one side or the other would have to depart from the Constitution. Pompidou's acilt. ances to the contrary are valueless. In any case. as he told his January 9 Press conference: refuse to say anyshall do aterer elections it whatever about what I one or another hypotheses except that I shall act in conformity with the Constitution.' But what does 'acting in conformity with the Constitution' really mean? It comes down in the final analysis to a trial of strength, at the xtreme point: of which are • coup d'etat from above ol a revolution from below based on the mobilization of the strength of the working class.

Wisely refusing to commit himself further, Pompidou ic evidently hoping that the Gaullists will win the election and the contingency will not arise. Meanwhile he holds himself ready to ensure 'the continuity of the [bourgeois] state' come what may Presid Marcel his wif de Ga

THE POWER OF POMPIDOU CANTAL MOOR LE SON VOTEREZ NDOU POUR

January