Presidents of the Fifth Republic: The Virtues of Comparison, not a Comparison of Virtues

Abstract

In setting out to compare Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency with those of his predecessors under the Fifth Republic, we need to keep in mind that, except for Georges Pompidou (who died before completing his seven-year term), and Jacques Chirac (who had already served seven years before being elected for a further five), Sarkozy is the first president to come into office with a relatively short five-year term ahead of him. Moreover, in the course of his presidency a major financial and economic crisis arose that greatly reduced his room for maneuver. In many respects, the pattern of this presidency resembles that of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, with a period of reform abruptly cut short by crisis. That said, the pension reforms pursued from the beginning of Sarkozy's presidency probably mark a very clear turning point, displaying a marked form of political voluntarism.