Blog
A presidentialist reading of the constitution ☹
Following the dissolution of the National Assembly and the surprising result of the early parliamentary elections, many had expected the president to give parliament more room for manoeuvre, as is the case in parliamentary systems. However, the procedure used by President Macron to appoint a new prime minister confirms the presidentialist reading of the constitution.
Out of breath
This month I would like to talk about the current political and social situation in France. I am not an expert and I will not talk about my political beliefs, but like many French people, I am currently asking myself many questions about politics, the institutions, the role of the president, parliament and the people.
However, I will be focussing mainly on democracy. Is our political system really democratic? How can we revitalise democracy in France?
The Velorution
France was a country of rails and railway stations in the 19th century, but by the middle of the 20th century many stations were closed and some rail networks were no longer used: then came the era of the road! In the 21st century, many communities are now campaigning for the lines to be converted into railway lines. These are the so-called "Voies vertes" (Hent Glas in Breton)
The secret of the stones
What is history with a capital letter? When we personify this ‘science of the past’ in French, we write the word with a capital H, even though nouns in this language do not grammatically begin with a capital letter. Is this a sign of admiration? Perhaps. In fact, you can feel a sense of humility when you see what our ancestors built and how much effort they put into building a cathedral, for example, but also when you see an old stone washhouse, as you often see in Brittany, and think of the women who had to work so hard to look after the household and their families.