The political philosophy of the French Fifth Republic: Elements for understanding the current regime crisis

This article explores the political philosophy of the French Fifth Republic through an analysis of its institutional architecture, ideological foundations, and specific model of power organization. Established in 1958 as a response to the instability of previous republican regimes, the Fifth Republic relied on strong presidential leadership and a majoritarian electoral system to ensure long-term political stability. However, over the course of its history, this model has faced internal contradictions, oscillating between the ideal of popular sovereignty and the Bonapartist personalization of power. The article examines the key institutional mechanisms of the Fifth Republic and their connections to both the republican tradition and Bonapartist elements, shedding light on how executive and legislative power are constituted and redefined. Special emphasis is placed on a theoretical reflection on institutions as arenas of struggle for legitimacy and the redistribution of political power, drawing on the sociological and institutional theories of Pierre Bourdieu, Claude Lefort, and Pierre Rosanvallon. The central hypothesis of this study is that the current political crisis of the Fifth Republic is intrinsically linked to an institutional model that no longer corresponds to the evolving socio-political dynamics. Through a historical-sociological and institutional analysis, the article investigates both the structural factors that have sustained the longevity of this regime and those that have led to its gradual dysfunction.