Fifty years after the creation of the Fifth Republic, French politics is undergoing profound changes. The election of Nicolas Sarkozy has announced a general review of the French political system. A special committee - the comite constitutionnel - is currently drafting a catalogue of potential reforms. Debates focus on issues like presidentialization, parliamentary scrutiny of the executive or the creation of a popular initiative to trigger constitutional review of given legislative texts.

These discussions reflect long-standing trends in the Fifth Republic. This volume...

The character of international trade has changed dramatically over the past twenty years. Previously published as a special issue of The Journal of European Public Policy, this volume provides a state of the art study of the new trade politics."

The Oxford Handbook of French Politics provides a comprehensive and comparative overview of the French political system through the lens of political science.
The Handbook is organized into three parts: the first part identifies foundational concepts for the French case, including chapters on republicanism and social welfare; the second part focuses on thematic large-scale processes, such identity, governance, and globalization; while the third part examines a wide range of issues relating to substantive politics and policy, among which are chapters on political...