ABSTRACT
France has known a strong personalisation of its politics since the beginning of the Fifth Republic in 1958. This was new, as French politics has been dominated by the fear of strong personalities, in public institutions and political parties, since the beginning of the Third Republic in 1875 (Hamon and Mabileau 1964). The origin was the rejection of the institutions and practices of the Second Empire of Napoleon III (1851–1870) by republicans. The Bonapartist temptation was thus systematically fought during the whole of the Third Republic (1875–1940), as well as during the Fourth (1946–1958). The setting up of a parliamentary system contributed to a decrease of the role of personalities, as well as the development of coalition governments. Strong personalities were eliminated both from the positions of president of the republic and of prime minister. Heads of government were mostly consensual personalities, able to manage coalitions, but rarely leaders.
