French Constitution (1958)
France has had a different number of "constitutions" over the past 200 years. The most progressive was the French Constitution of 1793. The present constitution, that of the Fifth Republic, dates back to 1958 when it was adopted by the population through a referendum. This constitution was written by Charles de Gaulle. Since then, some changes have been made by parliament, while other changes have been adopted in referenda. The most important example of this one is an amendment from 1962 that said the president was directly elected.
The French constitution can be changed in two ways. Article 89 states that the approval of the two chambers of parliament is required for each proposal of change. If one can not convince 60% of all members of those two rooms, the proposal goes to a referendum. The French Senate is in majority conservative, making it difficult for left-wing MEPs to make changes. Constitutional change, however, has often followed a different route. Article 11 states that the government may make a proposal for change, after which the president decides whether the proposal goes to a referendum. In practice, the president often tells what proposal the government has to submit.
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