The Rationalised French Parliament as an Institutional Aspect of the Emmanuel Macron’s Pension Reform: Historical-Constitutional Foundations and the Government’s Nuclear Option Procedure for the Enactment of Laws

Year 2024, Volume: 14 Issue: 2, 897 - 974, 23.12.2024

Türker Ertaş

https://doi.org/10.52273/sduhfd..1568102

Abstract

The French Constitution of 1958, which came into force in the aftermath of the Fourth Republic, a period characterised by governmental instability and military-political crises, significantly strengthened the executive branch at the expense of the legislative branch, both at the institutional and the legislative level. It is evident that the legislative-executive relations enshrined in the Constitution of 1946 were a significant contributing factor to the relatively short-lived cabinets that characterised the Fourth Republic. Indeed, the Constitution of 1946 endowed the French Parliament with significant instruments that could be employed against the Government, both at the inaugural stage and throughout the tenure of the Government. Nevertheless, the constitutional mechanisms provided to the government or the president of the republic in the event of a political crisis were severely limited or subject to strict conditions. The Constitution of 1958 was designed to rectify this imbalance between the French Parliament and the executive branch, and even to alter the institutional balance in favour of the latter. In essence, the Constitution of 1958 sought to rationalise the French Parliament, which was perceived to have acted irrationally during the Fourth Republic. One notable illustration of the rationalised parliament, a hallmark of the Fifth Republic, is the third paragraph of Article 49 of the Constitution of 1958. In accordance with the aforementioned provision, the Prime Minister may, following deliberation in the Council of Ministers, make the adoption of a bill a matter of confidence for the Government before the National Assembly. In that event, the bill shall be considered passed unless a resolution of no-confidence, tabled within the subsequent twenty-four hours, is carried. This is illustrated by the example of Emmanuel Macron's proposal to gradually raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, which was adopted through this mechanism of rationalised parliament. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne's invocation of the aforementioned provision, also known as the Nuclear Option, under the guidance of the President Macron, has prompted a wave of criticism and nationwide demonstrations. The crux of these criticisms pertains to the perception that the French Parliament is no longer a mere legislative body driven by irrational impulses. Furthermore, it is argued that by invoking a relatively outdated provision, the will of the National Assembly is disregarded, and the very foundations of democracy are undermined.

Keywords

French Constitution of 1958, Emmanuel Macron, Pension Reform, Nuclear Option, Rationalised Parliament

Emmanuel Macron’un Emeklilik Reformu’nun Kurumsal Boyutu Olarak Rasyonelleştirilmiş Fransız Parlamentosu: Tarihsel-Anayasal Temeller ve Kanun Tekliflerinin Kabulünde Hükümetin “Nükleer Seçenek” Usulü

Abstract

Hükümet istikrarsızlıkları ve askeri-siyasi krizlerle geçen IV. Cumhuriyet Dönemi’nin akabinde yürürlüğe giren 1958 Fransız Anayasası, yasama organı aleyhine yürütme organını hem kurumsal hem de teşrii düzeyde belirgin bir şekilde güçlendirmektedir. Burada pek tabii ki IV. Cumhuriyet Dönemi’nin karakteristiği hâline gelen kısa ömürlü kabinelerin esas sorumlusu olarak 1946 Anayasası’nın benimsediği yasama-yürütme ilişkilerinin gösterilmesinin etkisi büyüktür. Gerçekten de 1946 Anayasası, Hükümetin gerek göreve başlaması gerek görevine devam etmesi aşamasında Fransız Parlamentosu’na Hükümet karşısında kullanabileceği çok önemli silahlar veya kozlar bahşetmiştir. Bununla birlikte Hükümetin veya Cumhurbaşkanının herhangi bir siyasi kriz durumunda kullanabileceği anayasal mekanizmalar ise çok kısıtlı veya sıkı koşullara tabi bir şekilde düzenlenmiştir. 1958 Anayasası, Fransız Parlamentosu ile yürütme organı arasındaki bu dengesizliği ortadan kaldırmak ve hatta kurumsal dengeyi yürütme organı lehine değiştirmek üzere tasarlanmıştır. Başka bir deyişle, 1958 Anayasası ile IV. Cumhuriyet Dönemi’nin irrasyonel davranan Fransız Parlamentosu, deyim yerindeyse rasyonelleştirilmeye çalışılmıştır. V. Cumhuriyet Dönemi’nin tipik kurumsal özelliklerden birisi olan rasyonelleştirilmiş parlamentonun çarpıcı bir yansıması da 1958 Anayasası’nın 49. maddesinin üçüncü fıkrasıdır. Söz konusu hüküm uyarınca Başbakan, Bakanlar Kurulunda müzakere edildikten sonra bir kanun teklifinin kabulünü Millî Meclis nezdinde hükümetin güven meselesi yapabilir. Eğer Hükümet yirmi dört saat içerisinde güvensizlik oyu ile düşürülmezse söz konusu kanun teklifi Millî Meclis tarafından kabul edilmiş sayılır. Emmanuel Macron’un Emeklilik Reformu olarak bilinen ve emeklilik yaşını 62’den kademeli olarak 64’e yükseltmeyi öngören kanun teklifi, söz konusu rasyonelleştirilmiş parlamento mekanizması işletilerek kabul edilmiştir. Bununla birlikte Cumhurbaşkanı Macron’un nezdinde dönemin Başbakanı Élisabeth Borne’nun Nükleer Seçenek (Nuclear Option) olarak da bilinen söz konusu maddeyi işletmesi, yoğun eleştirileri ve ülke çapında gösterileri beraberinde getirmiştir. Söz konusu hükmün işletilmesine yönelik eleştirilerin temelinde, Fransız Parlamentosu’nun artık irrasyonel bir yasama organı olmadığı ve görece demode olmuş bir hükmün işletilmesi suretiyle Millî Meclis iradesinin göz ardı edilerek demokrasiye gölge düşürüldüğü görüşü yatmaktadır.

Keywords

1958 Fransız Anayasası, Emmanuel Macron, Emeklilik Reformu, Nükleer Seçenek, Rasyonelleştirilmiş Parlamento

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