An Assessment on Competitive Capacity of the Political Opposition in France During the Fifth Republic

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 25 Sayı: 4, 1 - 20, 29.12.2025

Pelin Aliyev

https://doi.org/10.18037/ausbd.1519677

Öz

The declining trust in political institutions, decreasing voter turnout, and the escalation of peaceful protests into violent actions in France make it necessary to closely examine not only the ruling party but also the political opposition, which is a key stakeholder in the democratic regime. This study addresses the competitive capacity of political opposition under the Fifth Republic through an integrated framework combining neo-institutionalism and political culture theory. While the institutional analysis focuses on constitutional provisions, electoral law, party legislation, and parliamentary procedures, the cultural analysis considers citizens’ attitudes toward authority, participation, and pluralism, drawing on Almond and Verba’s concept of political culture and Dahl’s notion of polyarchy as normative benchmarks. As a single-case study, this research provides a holistic perspective by incorporating both institutional and political culture factors to analyze the conditions that enable or constrain opposition. The study claims that the opposition's capacity to compete effectively depends not only on the nature of legal regulations but also on the strength of the country's democratic political culture. In this context, it is argued that during the Fifth Republic in France, the opposition's competitive power was guaranteed by an institutional framework, but the erosion of democratic political culture created a socio-political environment that limited this power.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Pluralism , Democracy , Democratic Regimes , France , Political Opposition

Fransa’da Beşinci Cumhuriyet Dönemi’nde Siyasi Muhalefetin Rekabet Etme Kapasitesi Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme

Öz

Fransa’da siyasi kurumlara olan güvenin giderek zayıflaması, seçmen katılımının azalması ve barışçıl protestoların şiddet hareketlerine dönüşmesi, sadece iktidarı değil, demokratik rejimin en önemli paydaşı olan siyasal muhalefeti de yakından incelemeyi gerekli kılmaktadır. Bu çalışma, Beşinci Cumhuriyet döneminde siyasi muhalefetin rekabet kapasitesini, neo-kurumsalcılık ve siyasal kültür kuramını birleştiren bütünleşik bir çerçeve aracılığıyla ele almaktadır. Kurumsal analiz, anayasal düzenlemeler, seçim yasası, siyasi partiler yasası ve parlamenter usullere odaklanırken; kültürel analiz, Almond ve Verba’nın siyasal kültür kavramı ile Dahl’ın poliarşi yaklaşımını normatif bir ölçüt olarak benimseyerek, vatandaşların otoriteye, katılıma ve çoğulculuğa yönelik tutumlarını dikkate almaktadır. Tek vaka çalışması niteliğindeki bu araştırma, hem kurumsal hem de siyasal kültür unsurlarını içeren bütüncül bir perspektif sunarak, muhalefet etmeyi mümkün kılan veya sınırlayan koşulları analiz etmektedir. Çalışma, muhalefetin etkili biçimde rekabet etme kapasitesinin yalnızca yasal düzenlemelerin niteliğine değil, ülkedeki demokratik siyasal kültürün gücüne de bağlı olduğunu savunmaktadır. Bu bağlamda Fransa’da Beşinci Cumhuriyet döneminde muhalefetin rekabet gücünün kurumsal bir çerçeve ile güvence altına alındığı, ancak demokratik siyasal kültürde yaşanan aşınmanın bu gücü sınırlandıran bir sosyo-politik ortam yarattığı ileri sürülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Çoğulculuk , Demokrasi , Demokratik Rejimler , Fransa , Siyasi Muhalefet

Etik Beyan

This article is produced from PhD thesis written by Pelin Aliyev under the supervision of Şakir Dinçşahin at Hasan Kalyoncu University in 2021.

Kaynakça

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