Key Moments: Party System Transformations

1958-1962: Gaullist movement establishes Fifth Republic dominance, reshaping party competition around presidential power.

1971: Épinay Congress transforms Socialist Party, creating modern left alternative to Communists.

1981: Mitterrand's victory proves alternation possible, establishing left-right competition pattern.

2002: Le Pen reaches presidential runoff, shattering traditional party assumptions and forcing mainstream adaptation.

2017: Macron's victory devastates traditional parties, demonstrating system's vulnerability to insurgent movements.

2022: Legislative elections produce hung parliament, suggesting new era of coalition politics.