ABSTRACT
During the last decade the French party system has changed continuously and dramatically. In the light of recent French history this is neither new nor surprising; indeed, change appears to be one of the few enduring characteristics of that party system. Since 1978, the number of parties, their relative electoral strengths, their alliances or deals with each other and the ideological diversity of party political competition have all been modified. There has been a transformation of the party system, and, in the first section of this analysis, four main stages in this development are identified. In the three subsequent sections, the dynamics of the process of party system change are analysed in different ways. The first approach focuses on the parties themselves and internal pressures for change. This underlines the inherent tension between the parties and the party system in which they operate. The second approach places the emphasis on the changes in the ideological climate and demands of the electorate and the success or failure of parties to meet the challenges of their changing environment. The relative effectiveness of the Socialists in creating and maintaining social coalitions with new radical left forces, including Greens, the 1986 student movement and SOS-racisme, contrasts with the failure of the centre-right parties to canalise the protest which fed the National Front. The third approach, appropriate for ‘Duverger's country’, focuses on changes in electoral systems and institutional patterns of power. This shows how modifications in party strategies have been inspired by the conflicting demands of different electoral rules and the ‘de-coupling’ of the presidency from the parliamentary majority, and of both from local governments.
