One year after the dissolution of the National Assembly, "it is not only the presidential figure who is in crisis: it is the entire Fifth Republic"

On the evening of June 9, 2024, Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly, in accordance with Article 12 of the Constitution. One year later, the head of state, the government, and Parliament appear weaker than ever, analyzes Bastien François, professor of political science at the University of Paris-1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. The political scientist, who will speak Thursday and Friday at an international conference at the Université Côte d'Azur in Nice on the "Practice of Presidential Power under the Fifth Republic," suggests the introduction of proportional representation to break the impasse of the "majority factor" and address the fragmentation of the political landscape.

One year after the dissolution, what is your view of the political situation?

It lays bare two structuring dimensions of the Fifth Republic. First, something we tend to forget: presidential power is largely indexed to the majority. Without a majority to support him, the president is powerless. Here, it's a little different: there is no majority at all. And suddenly we are deeply troubled by this.

Then, and this is just as p