A constitutional referendum was held in France on 24 September 2000.
Dieter Nohlen
Dieter Nohlen (born 6 November 1939) is a German academic and political scientist. He currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Heidelberg. An expe ...
& Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p674 The proposal to reduce the
mandate
Mandate most often refers to:
* League of Nations mandates, quasi-colonial territories established under Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, 28 June 1919
* Mandate (politics), the power granted by an electorate
Mandate may also ...
of the
President from seven years to five years was approved by 73.2% of those who voted, but turnout was just 30.2%.
[Nohlen & Stöver, p687]
Background
The idea of a five-year term was discussed during the French parliamentary session of 1848, but rejected in favor of a four-year term. A seven-year term was adopted in 1873 for what became the Third Republic. In 2000,
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...
led the campaign for the referendum reducing the President's term from seven to five years. After he was re-elected in 2002, his term ended in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
rather than 2009. The aim of the ''quinquennat'' (five-year term) was for the legislative elections to follow the presidential election (as the
presidential election took place in April–May 2007, while the
legislative election took place in June), providing similar electoral results and reducing the risk of
cohabitation.
Results
See also
*
Constitutional amendments under the Fifth French Republic
In France, the French constitution of 4 October 1958 was revised many times in its early years. Changes in this fundamental law have become more frequent since the 1990s. This has had two major causes: the desire to modernize public institutions on ...
*
Sexenio (Mexico)
References
External links
Proclamation of the results of the referendum of 24 September 2000 Constitutional Council of France, 28 September 2000
Decree 2000-655 of 12 July 2000 from the
President of France, submitting a constitutional amendment to referendum
"French poll sounds alarm to political elite" ''
The Guardian'', 26 September 2000
Term limits
2000 elections in France
France
Constitutional amendments
Referendums in France
Constitutional referendums in France
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