France
France operates as a semi-presidential republic with a unique dual executive - both a directly elected President and a Prime Minister accountable to Parliament. This Fifth Republic structure, designed by de Gaulle in 1958, concentrated executive power after the instability of the Fourth Republic. France remains a highly centralized state despite recent regionalization reforms.
As a founding EU member and permanent UN Security Council member, France wields disproportionate global influence for its size. The French state maintains significant economic intervention through strategic shareholdings, industrial policy, and the grands corps system of elite technocrats that rotate between public and private sectors.
The 'grands corps' system means roughly 500 graduates from elite schools rotate through top positions in government, state enterprises, and private companies - creating a network where the same people regulate industries they will later lead, and vice versa.
Key Facts
Power Dynamics
Parliament passes laws, President executes
President dominates when same party controls Assembly; 'cohabitation' when opposition controls Assembly creates power-sharing
- Constitutional Council
- Senate (weak)
- Street protests (strong cultural tradition)
- Grands corps networks
- Yellow vest movements
- Trade unions (especially in transport)
Revenue Structure
France Revenue Sources
- Income tax 25% →
- VAT 30% ↻
- Social contributions 35% →
- Corporate tax 10% ↻
High social spending commitments (pension system especially) with aging demographics
Higher tax burden than UK/US, similar to Nordics but with more resistance to reform
Decision Dynamics at France
COVID emergency powers enacted in days (March 2020)
Pension reform attempts spanning decades, repeatedly blocked
Street protests and union strikes can paralyze reforms even with parliamentary majorities
Failure Modes of France
- Fourth Republic collapse (1958)
- May 1968 near-revolution
- 2005 EU Constitution referendum defeat
- Dual executive creates confusion in crisis
- Street protest culture bypasses institutions
- Elite circulation creates regulatory capture
If Yellow Vest-style movement coincides with economic crisis and European tensions, legitimacy crisis possible
Biological Parallel
Like Portuguese Man o' War - appears as single entity but is colony of specialized zooids. France oscillates between technocratic mode (énarques running things efficiently) and democratic mode (street protests overriding institutions). The dual executive mirrors this: sometimes President dominates, sometimes Prime Minister, depending on political configuration.
Key Agencies
Central bank (now part of ECB system)
Competition authority
Elite civil service training (dissolved 2021, replaced by INSP)