The Causes and the Outcome of 200 Years of Conflict between the Government and Parliament of France

The French people experimented with some different political systems before the Revolution. The conflict between the government and the parliament over their powers, has been one of the most important challenges. This historical conflict has had inconsistent results. The supporters of the government or the parliament have provoked riots and revolutions, changed the constitution and stabilized their positions in different eras. At some points in the political history of the country, the two parties tried to establish an intermediate political system to bring the conflict to a conclusion with a win-win result. However, General de Gaulle used his charisma and status to end this conflict to the advantage of the government. The French have experienced a system, for more than 50 years, in which the parliament has been driven to the margin. The roots of this historical conflict are discussed in the present article.