Cohabitation: When President and PM Differ

Cohabitation—when President and Prime Minister come from opposing political camps—tests the Fifth Republic's institutional design. These periods reveal both the system's flexibility and its inherent tensions.

Historical Instances

France has experienced three cohabitation periods:

1986-1988: Socialist President François Mitterrand with Gaullist Prime Minister Jacques Chirac. This first cohabitation established crucial precedents about power division.

1993-1995: Mitterrand's second cohabitation with Édouard Balladur saw more harmonious relations but similar institutional dynamics.

1997-2002: Gaullist President Chirac with Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin represented the longest and perhaps most successful cohabitation.

Power Dynamics During Cohabitation

Cohabitation fundamentally alters executive functioning:

Domestic Policy: The Prime Minister and government control domestic policy. The President retains influence through public statements but cannot direct government action.

Foreign Policy: The traditional "reserved domain" becomes contested. While the President remains head of state and represents France internationally, the Prime Minister asserts governmental prerogatives. This often produces a "two-headed" foreign policy.

Defense: Both executives claim authority, requiring careful coordination. The President remains commander-in-chief, but the Prime Minister controls defense budget and policy.

Appointments: High-level appointments become negotiated, with each executive protecting their sphere of influence.

Constitutional Mechanisms

Several constitutional provisions become crucial during cohabitation:

Article 20: Affirming that "the Government determines and conducts national policy" strengthens the Prime Minister's position.

Article 21: The Prime Minister's responsibility for national defense creates overlapping authority with the President's commander-in-chief role.

Presidential Arbitration: The President's role as arbiter and guarantor of institutional functioning provides residual influence even when lacking direct power.

The End of Cohabitation?

The 2000 constitutional reform, aligning presidential and legislative terms at five years and scheduling elections closely, aimed to reduce cohabitation likelihood. Since 2002, no cohabitation has occurred. However, the possibility remains, and some argue that occasional cohabitation provides healthy democratic balance.