France backs constitution reform

[eppur_se_muova]

Source: BBC

Parliamentarians in France have approved plans by President Nicolas Sarkozy to rewrite the constitution - by the slimmest of margins.

The bill was backed by 539 votes to 357 - one vote more than the three-fifths majority of the combined Assembly and Senate required to pass the reforms.

Mr Sarkozy says the reforms will strengthen France's parliament, which is often seen as weak.

But the opposition says they will turn the country into a "monocracy".



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7517505.stm

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. A democratically elected legislature can never be a monocracy, by definition

The Wikipedia does not define monocracy; it redirects the user to autocracy:

An autocracy is a form of government in which the political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler. The term autocrat is derived from the Greek word autocratic (lit. "self-ruler", or to: "rule by one's self"). Compare with oligarchy (literally means rule by the few) and democracy (rule by the majority).

Even if the Assemblée Nationale becomes the sole federal power, it will still be a democracy. The current system with a very strong President and a weak legislature is a lot more autocratic.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. I suspect the devil is in the details ...

the "concessions" listed further down in the article seem to substantial. It is hard to understand what the objections are. But then some people said that about the PATRIOT Act.

[Dover]

3. I think rewriting Constituitions may become a trend....for the U.S. as well.

Seeing how ours is in tatters already....

[pattmarty]

5. I have thought about that too, especially over the last........

.....30 yrs. I guess the bottom line is which party is in charge at the time of the "re-writing", but be careful of what you wish for.

[davidwparker]

4. France, wtf are you doing? Don't listen to that right-wing idiot