How can low turnout be explained?

Peter Humi

By Peter Humi, Paris Bureau Chief

"The five-year term adopted amid general indifference" is the banner headline in Le Figaro announcing the result of Sunday's poll on cutting the current seven-year presidential run.

Liberation describes the 31.5% turnout as "a voting strike." The tabloid Le Parisien describes the result as: "A small yes ... a large slap in the face."

The slap is for France's politicians, in particular President Jacques Chirac who called for the referendum, saying the presidency of France was: "In the hands of the people."

In the end it was the people's feet that played the key role, as the record abstention meant that barely 12 million of the country's 40-million-strong electorate bothered going to the polling stations. Not a good day for French democracy, then. So why the lack of interest?

The statistics show that only one in six of those eligible to vote cast their ballots in favour of the shorter presidential mandate.

But opinion polls in the week before Sunday's referendum showed three out of four wanted the five-year term.

The result was a foregone conclusion and that goes some way to explaining the poor turnout.

Another reason was the vote was not based on party lines.

Both mainstream left and right of centre parties were in favour of the five-year term and consequently there were few debates to capture the imagination, and incite the electorate to vote.

The nation's media also gave comparatively little attention to the issue, until late in the proceedings when they began reporting the general disinterest of the public.

And opinion polls in the lead-up to Sunday's vote showed the issue of the presidential term of office fared badly in a list of priorities that currently occupy the minds of the French.

The price of oil, education, taxes and health issues all ranked higher, and unlikely to be affected by a five or seven-year presidential term.

Ironically there was, constitutionally, no need for a referendum. Between them, both houses of French parliament could have amended the constitution without recourse to a vote.

Meeting jointly in what is known as a "Congres" at Versailles, the senators and the deputies have the necessary powers to enact or amend.

In fact some critics of the referendum said the tens millions of francs it cost could thus have been avoided.

So was anyone against a shorter term? Well in addition to the four million or so French voters who voted "non," the only political party that called for a negative vote was the extreme right-wing Front National.

Some dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist Gaullists also thought the shorter term went against the spirit of the great general's philosophy.

In fact Charles de Gaulle did not introduce the seven-year term.

It dates back to the 1870s and the upheaval following the abdication of Emperor Louis Napoleon following France's military defeat at the hands of Prussia.

A newly-installed republican regime began the seven-year cycle. But French presidents since Valery Giscard d'Estaing in 1974 began to propose the shorter term.

At seven years it was among the longest elected terms of office of any democracy.

Francois Mitterrand in his election platform in 1981 promised to shorten his term.

He never did and served two terms, or 14 years as the incumbent in the presidential Elysee Palace.

As to Jacques Chirac, his current term of office will not be affected by Sunday's vote.

The new five-year term (which incidentally brings the French presidency in line with most of its European partners) will only take effect after the next presidential elections in the year 2002.

In the final analysis Sunday's record low turn-out does not spell an end to referendums in France.

President Chirac has already said he will not hesitate to call more if the issue warrants.

But it might, according to the papers on Monday, teach the politicians to choose the issues more selectively, and better judge the voting habits of the French people.

TIME Europe -- Losing Bet
June 16, 1997
TIME Europe
Resurrection! -- May 15, 1995

French President

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