Coalition Management in the Face of Ideological and Institutional Constraint: The Case of France's Gauche Plurielle

Abstract

The experience of the Lionel Jospin-led Gauche Plurielle government (1997–2002), arguably among the most productive of the French Fifth Republic, reveals that semi-presidential and parliamentary systems can produce durable coalition-based regimes capable of ambitious programmatic change. The Jospin government's unexpected longevity and surprising political accomplishments were achieved in the face of fractious Left–Green multiparty bargaining and the challenges of a national executive political cohabitation with an opposition Right president. This Left–Green government crafted and implemented major economic reforms (most notably the complex 35-hour work week initiative) and highly controversial social policies (e.g., civil union legislation and gender parity electoral reforms). Effective management of the Left–Green ideological-policy spectrum was essential, with policy concessions and a common desire for electoral success permitting rival parties to achieve unprecedented coordination of actions. The Jospin style (‘Jospinisme’) was conducive to consensus and governance, with a nuanced balancing of personnel and interests within the government tied to the balancing of parliamentary members’ votes as legislation was moved through the legislative process. In examining this regime and policy environment, we adopt a multi-faceted analytical perspective — bridging ideological-policy, institutional, and ‘critical events’ factors — illuminating the dynamics of a complex political-institutional setting that involved the maneuverings of both the Gauche Plurielle partners (PS, PCF, Left Radicals, Greens, and Chevenement groups) and rival President Jacques Chirac. The Jospin–Gauche Plurielle case illuminates the opportunities and dilemmas inherent in coalition formation, management, and maintenance in a semi-presidential system.