UK and France Political Systems: A Comparative Analysis
UK and European Integration
In 1993, Britain ratified the Maastricht Treaty, despite opting out of the protocol on social policy. This decision highlighted the Conservative party’s internal divisions regarding European integration, stemming from concerns about the European Commission’s growing political power in implementing the single market. The issue of British sovereignty was central, pitting supporters of free markets against those wary of the EU’s influence. Conversely, the Labour and Liberal parties supported EU membership, viewing it as a platform to challenge Conservative policies and as an institution with funds to counteract budget cuts. In 1998, Great Britain was among the 11 countries selected to form the group leading to the euro’s introduction on 01/01/1999. However, British public opinion remained skeptical of the single currency, making the UK, along with Denmark, one of the countries with the lowest support for European integration, resulting in high abstention rates in European elections. Europe remains a complex issue that evokes distrust among both the elite and the British public.
France’s Political System: Historical Overview
Chapter 3: The Political System of France: Historical France 1. Antecedents V Republic is strategically located in Western Europe, connecting major centers of power and wealth. Its history is marked by conflicts and wars over coveted territory, a process that began with the Roman definition of Gaul. The intense Romanization of Gaul contributed to the idea of this territory as a unified entity after the fall of the Roman Empire in 476. By the end of the fifteenth century, France had become a kingdom with the characteristics of a modern state: a strong monarchy, a standing royal army, and a stable financial system. During the seventeenth century, France rose to become the leading world power under Louis XIV. While Louis XV did not actively govern, his ministers maintained France’s international standing. France began to lose its colonial competition with Britain, but the country experienced strong economic and population growth.
Under Louis XVI, the Crown’s financial crisis worsened. The King’s absolute power upheld the privileges of the noble and clerical estates and certain territories. In 1788, members of these privileged classes met in an Assembly of Notables. The King responded by abolishing the rights of provincial members, who resisted the royal edicts with support from sectors of the army and civilians. In 1789, the King convened the Estates General at Versailles. The members of the Third Estate, representing over 50% of the population, opposed the voting system by estates and left the Estates General. They formed a meeting that proclaimed itself representative of the entire nation, tasked with drafting France’s first constitution, stating its political principles in the Declaration on the Rights of Man and Citizen. This Declaration incorporated many ideas from the Enlightenment, widespread among the French bourgeoisie through the Encyclopedia. The King’s government attempted to dissolve the Assembly by force, but the meeting was supported by the people of Paris, who rebelled by storming the Bastille, forcing the King to accept the National Assembly. The revolt spread to rural areas, leading the Assembly to abolish privileges, titles of nobility, and clergy, submitting them to civilian power and seizing Church property. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, though not a constitution, has influenced later French constitutions, not only globally but also as a preamble in almost all French constitutions.
1.1. Revolutionary Constitutions.
- The Constitution of 1791. This was a milestone in global constitutionalism, influencing later constitutions in structure and content. It was also influenced by American constitutional development. It consisted of two parts:
- A dogmatic part, outlining the rights and duties of citizens. It included the Declaration on the Rights of Man and Citizen, which recognized natural rights, preceding the Constitution, that are individual and inviolable, based on natural law theories.