Abstract

The first part of this essay examines the first year and a half of Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency after his election in June 2007. It focuses in particular on the way presidential powers are exercised and the relationship between the President, on one hand, and the Prime Minister, the Government and the party of the President, on the other. Highlighting the paradox of a President that has accentuated his governing nature while at the same time amending the Constitution so as to strike a better balance between institutions, the Author goes on to describe the work of the Balladur Commission set up in July 2007, which a year later saw the approval of a significant amendment to the Constitution. In particular, the Author points out that notwithstanding the fact that this reform does not provide an explicit constitutional framework for governing the relationship between the President, the Prime Minister and the Government, it has given Parliament new instruments for exercising power more effectively within the context of the French form of government.