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7 things you didn’t know about the French constitution

France's constitution was born in 1791 but this year celebrates its 65th birthday. Confused? Read on.

Published: 4 October 2023 16:36 CEST
7 things you didn’t know about the French constitution
A copy of The Constitution of France is displayed at the Elysee Palace. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

The Constitution of France today is very different from the Constitution as it was originally written by the children of the revolution in 1791. It has been amended, rewritten, and changed – and much-loved parts of it weren’t always considered as important as they are today.

Here are a few things about the French constitution that you might not know

Numbers game

Even talk of ‘the’ constitution is misleading, since France has had 15 of them since the first one and the current one, which was adopted in 1958 – the birth of the Fifth Republic (hence that 65th birthday we mentioned). 

And even the latest constitution isn’t as originally written. It has undergone 24 revisions since then, affecting some two-thirds of the text.

Since 2005, it has included 10 articles relating to the environment – and there’s even been talk of resetting into a Sixth Republic, with a new constitution (although few people can agree on what that would look like). 

What did the first one say?

The main features of the French constitution of 1791 were the abolition of the feudal system and limits on the powers of the king, turning France into a constitutional monarchy (although not abolishing the monarchy, that came later).

Nobles and clergy were stripped of their privileges.

But, over the centuries, things have changed – and the constitution of France has changed with it.

Three little words

They’re everywhere today, and it’s easy to imagine that Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité would be front and centre of every version of the constitution. You’d be wrong. 

Revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre advocated that the words “The French People” and “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” be written on uniforms and flags in a speech in December 1790, but his proposal was rejected.

The motto fell into disuse during First French Empire, reappeared in the Constitution of 1848, was discarded again in the Second Empire, and re-established itself under the Third Republic (1870 – 1940). It started appearing on buildings during that period, and also made its way into the post-war constitutions of 1946 and 1958.

1958 and all that

France’s Fifth Republic was established on October 4th 1958 by Charles de Gaulle. But the Constitution that underpins it was written by Michel Debré, the first Prime Minister of the new era.

He is considered the “father” of the current Constitution of France, and served under de Gaulle from 1959 to 1962.

What’s in it

The current constitution provides for the election of the President and the Parliament, the selection of the Government, the powers of each and the relations between them. It ensures judicial authority.

The current Constitution regards the separation of church and state, democracy, social welfare, and the indivisibility of France as core principles of the state.

For many, its most striking feature is the wide-ranging powers that it gives to the president, at the expense of parliament. The Constitutional Article 49.3 – which allows the government to force through limited numbers of bills without having a parliamentary vote – has become the centre of heated political debate and even street battle sin recent months, as the Macron government used it to force through its highly controversial pension reform.

Enshrining rights and responsibilities in the constitution is considered stronger than mere laws, as it’s much harder for subsequent governments to overturn a constitutional change.

President Emmanuel Macron has said that he will put the right to abortion in the French constitution in ‘the coming months’ – a move strongly supported by a majority of French people. 

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Changing the constitution in France requires Presidential approval, plus the approval of both houses of parliament (the Assemblée nationale and the Senate) and then the approval of the final text by a three-fifths majority in both parliaments.

Alternatively, it can be changed by referendum, but only after the two assemblies have voted in favour by a simple majority. 

Age

The Fifth Republic – and its constitution – will become the longest-lived era of French politics if it survives until 2028. Earlier this year, its 65th anniversary was marked – if it makes 71, it will pass the Third Republic’s longevity record.

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FRANCE EXPLAINED

Why are berets so synonymous with France?

If you walk by a tourist shop in Paris, the chances are very high that they will have a full assortment of berets to choose from. But why is this fashion choice even associated with France?

Published: 13 May 2024 14:36 CEST
Why are berets so synonymous with France?

If you were to believe the TV shows and movies about France’s capital, everyone in the city owns a beret, drives a moped, smokes cigarettes, and carries baguettes under their armpits.

While some of these stereotypes might be more true than others (hint: baguette transportation), the anglophone world has been convinced that berets never go out of style.

READ MORE: Baguettiquette: Weird things the French do with bread

These days, a person walking around Paris in a beret is just as likely – if not more likely – to be a tourist than a French person.

That being said, the English-speaking world does have good reason to associate berets with the French.

The word beret is thought to be of Gallic (pre-French) origins, dating all the way back to the Romans, though similar styles of headgear have been found in archeological sites across the ancient world.

Officially, beret begins to appear in the French dictionary around the 15th century, and by the 19th century the waterproof headgear had become popular.

Napoleon associated them with the Basque country and the Pyrenees, though different versions of berets were worn across the French countryside, including the people who would go on to be known as ‘onion johnnies’ in Brittany.

French Onion Johnnies

Brits have a specific reason to associate the French with berets, according to writer Margo Lestz with the Curious Rambler blog.

From the mid-1800s to mid-1900s, it was common for Brits to see French men in berets, riding bicycles and carrying onions.

“These beret-wearing, onion-laden cyclists arrived in the UK every summer to peddle their wares. They came from the area around Roscoff, Brittany in western France. This area was (and still is) known for its special pink onions. They were sweet, had a long storage life – and the British loved them.

“As it happened, many of these onion-sellers were called Yann, a common Breton name which is the equivalent of Jean in French and John in English. The British soon took to calling them “Onion Johnnies”. The Johnnies didn’t mind and happily adopted their new English nickname.

“They would go door to door from July through December across the UK, then would return to Brittany. Since the Onion Johnnies were the only contact that many Brits had with a Frenchman, they naturally assumed that all Frenchmen wore berets,” Lestz wrote.

READ MORE: Why we think the French all wear berets and carry onions

Military gear to street fashion and revolutions

Another reason we associate the French with berets has to do with official military uniforms. Beginning in the 1880s and continuing into World War I, France’s Chasseurs Alpins, infantry soldiers the Alps, began to wear berets as part of their uniform. 

Aloïs Guinut, the author of the book ‘Dress like a Parisian’ told 20 Minutes that “Shepherds wore them first, then soldiers, schoolchildren, and then golfers, mountaineers, and even cyclists adopted it.”

Guinut said that once the headwear became popular with athletes, it started to became stylish in general.

“Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel was one of the first to use it as a fashion accessory in the 1930s,” Guinot explained, noting that around that time French cinema was growing in popularity, and more French actresses were sporting berets, including the leading lady Michele Morgan in the film ‘Le Quai des Brumes’.

READ MORE: Where does the ‘romantic, sexy French’ stereotype come from?

By the 1940s, berets were so connected to French identity that they became an essential accessory for the resistance during World War II.

Afterwards, other resistance movements began to incorporate berets too, including the revolutionary Che Guevara.

What about now?

Several military uniforms across the world include berets, including parts of the French military like paratroopers and the French foreign legion.

As for Parisians, “there are [some] who do wear berets. I see them regularly. But it’s true that tourists love wearing berets when they visit Paris, so it is a bit of a tourist accessory,” Guinut said.

It continues to be part of the ‘Parisienne’ appearance as luxury fashion companies use it in their yearly collections – like Dior in 2017.

Meanwhile, tourist shops play up the beret, while pop culture continues to give us images of the beret-wearing Frenchwoman – most recently, Emily in Paris, with the main character frequently accesorising with a bright red beret.

Let us know what you think about berets in the comments below. Do you consider them stylish?

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