French constitutional referendum, 1958

Last updated
French constitutional referendum, 1958
Do you approve of the Constitution offered by the Government of the Republic?
Approuvez-vous la Constitution qui vous est proposée par le Gouvernement de la République?
Results
Votes%
Yes check.svgYes31,123,48382.60%
X mark.svgNo6,556,07317.40%
Valid votes37,679,55698.90%
Invalid or blank votes417,9271.10%
Total votes38,097,483100.00%
Registered voters/turnout47,249,14280.63%
Results by territory
French constitutional referendum, 1958 results.png
  Yes    No
Referendum held: 28 September 1958
This article is part of a series on the
Politics of
France
Armoiries republique francaise.svg
France portal

A constitutional referendum was held in France on 28 September 1958. [1] Voters were asked whether they approved of the adoption of a constitution for the French Fifth Republic written by Charles de Gaulle. It was overwhelmingly approved, with 82.6% in favour. [2] Voter turnout was 84.9% in Metropolitan France and 79.8% overall. [2]

France Republic with mainland in Europe and numerous oversea territories

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million. France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

Constitution of France French Constitution adopted in 1958

The current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, and replaced that of the Fourth Republic dating from 1946. Charles de Gaulle was the main driving force in introducing the new constitution and inaugurating the Fifth Republic, while the text was drafted by Michel Debré. Since then the constitution has been amended twenty-four times, most recently in 2008.

French Fifth Republic fifth and current republican constitution of France since 1958

The Fifth Republic, France's current republican system of government, was established by Charles de Gaulle under the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958. The Fifth Republic emerged from the collapse of the Fourth Republic, replacing the former parliamentary republic with a semi-presidential, or dual-executive, system that split powers between a Prime Minister as head of government and a President as head of state. De Gaulle, who was the first French President elected under the Fifth Republic in December 1958, believed in a strong head of state, which he described as embodying l'esprit de la nation.

Contents

Results

Choice Metropolitan France Total
Votes%Votes%
For17,668,79079.331,123,48382.6
Against4,624,51120.76,556,07317.4
Invalid/blank votes303,549418,297
Total22,596,85010038,097,483100
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

The total includes Overseas departments, Algeria, Sahara, Overseas territories (except Guinea, French Togoland, French Cameroon, French New Hebrides and Wallis and Futuna) and French citizens living abroad. [2]

The term overseas territory is an administrative division of France and is currently only applied to the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Guinea country in Africa

Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a west-coastal country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea, the modern country is sometimes referred to as Guinea-Conakry in order to distinguish it from other countries with "Guinea" in the name and the eponymous region, such as Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea. Guinea has a population of 12.4 million and an area of 245,860 square kilometres (94,927 sq mi).

By territory

TerritoryVotes
for
%Votes
against
%Invalid/
blank votes
Total
votes
Registered
voters
Turnout
Algeria 3,357,76396.59118,6313.41388163,515,2104,412,17179.67
Chad 804,35598.29140421.714628823,0151,243,45066.19
Comoros 63,89997.331,7562.6726565,92071,09992.72
Côte d'Ivoire 1,595,23899.992160.0111561,596,6101,636,53397.56
Dahomey 418,96397.8492462.163,198431,407775,17055.65
French Polynesia 16,19664.408,95235.609925,24730,95081.57
French Somaliland 8,66275.242,85124.767011,58315,91472.78
French Sudan 945,58697.5423,8752.462,736972,1972,142,26645.38
Gabon 190,33492.5815,2447.423,022208,600265,16178.67
Guinea 56,9814.781,136,32495.2210,5701,203,8751,408,50085.47
Madagascar 1,363,05977.64302,55722.3611,8591,767,4752,154,93982.02
Mauritania 302,01894.0419,1265.961,307322,451382,87084.22
Moyen-Congo 339,43699.382,1330.62781342,350433,40378.99
New Caledonia 26,08598.125001.8844327,02835,16376.86
Niger 372,38378.43102,39521.5719,175493,9531,320,17437.42
Sahara 232,11398.6032891.40910236,312282,09983.77
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2,32598.06461.942272,5982,80292.72
Senegal 870,36297.5521,9012.451,106893,3691,106,82880.71
Ubangi-Shari 487,03398.776,0891.233,553496,675625,66379.38
Upper Volta 1,415,65199.1811,6870.823,8291,431,1671,914,90874.74
Source: Direct Democracy

Related Research Articles

1972 French European Communities enlargement referendum

A referendum on the enlargement of the EC was held in France on 23 April 1972. Voters were asked whether they approved of Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom joining the EC.. The proposals were approved by 68.3% of voters, with a turnout of 60.2%.

1945 French constitutional referendum referendum 21 October 1945

A constitutional referendum was held in France on 21 October 1945. Voters were asked whether they approved of the Assembly elected on the same day serving as a Constituent Assembly, and whether until a new constitution was approved, the country would be governed according to a proposed set of laws that appeared on the ballot paper. If the first proposal had not been approved, the Third Republic would have been restored, but its approval led to the creation of the Fourth Republic. Both were approved by wide margins with a turnout of 79.8%.

May 1946 French constitutional referendum

A constitutional referendum was held in France on 5 May 1946. Voters were asked whether they approved of a new draft Constitution proposed by the Constituent Assembly elected in 1945.

October 1946 French constitutional referendum

A constitutional referendum was held in France on 13 October 1946. Voters were asked whether they approved of a new constitution proposed by the Constituent Assembly elected in June. Unlike the May referendum, which saw a previous constitutional proposal rejected, the new constitution was accepted by 53.2% of voters, and brought the French Fourth Republic into existence. Voter turnout was 67.6%.

1961 French referendum on Algerian self-determination

A referendum on self-determination for Algeria was held in France on 8 January 1961. Self-determination was approved by 75.0% of voters overall and 69.5% in Algeria. The government reported voter turnout of 92.2%. Other sources claim that two-fifths of those entitled to vote abstained.

1962 French Évian Accords referendum

A referendum to approve the Évian Accords ending the Algerian War and granting self-determination to Algeria was held in France on 8 April 1962. It was approved by 90.8% of voters with a 75.3% turnout.

1870 French constitutional referendum

A constitutional referendum was held in France on 8 May 1870. Voters were asked whether they approved of the liberal reforms made to the constitution since 1860 and passed by the Sénatus-consulte on 20 April 1870. The changes were approved by 82.7% of voters with an 81.3% turnout. However, France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War caused the Empire to be abolished later that year. Despite this being the ninth constitutional referendum in French history, it was the first to have more than 8% oppose the motion, and one of only four to have less than 99% official approval.

1852 French Second Empire referendum

A referendum on re-establishing the Empire was held in France on 21 and 22 November 1852. Voters were asked whether they approved of the re-establishment of the Empire in the person of Louis Napoléon Bonaparte and family. It was approved by 96.9% of voters with a 79.8% turnout.

A referendum was held in France on 20 and 21 December 1851. Voters were asked whether they approved of the continuation of the authority of Louis Napoléon Bonaparte and to delegate the powers required to produce a new constitution. It was approved by 92% of voters with an 81.7% turnout.

1997 Polish constitutional referendum

A constitutional referendum was held in Poland on 25 May 1997. Voters were asked whether they approved of a new constitution. It was narrowly approved, with 53.5% voting in favour. Voter turnout was just 42.9%. Although the 1995 Referendum Act stated that a 50% turnout was required to validate the referendum, the Supreme Court ruled on 15 July that the constitution could be introduced.

A three-part referendum was held in Switzerland on 21 October 1877. A federal law on working in factories was approved by voters, whilst a federal law on compensation for not serving in the military and a federal law on the political rights of settled and travelling people and the loss of rights for Swiss citizens were both rejected.

Two referendums were held in Switzerland in 1887. The first was held on 15 May, asking voters whether they approved of a federal law on spirits, and was approved by 65.9% of voters. The second was held on 10 July, asking voters whether they approved of an amendment made to article 64 of the federal constitution, and was approved by 77.9% of voters and 20.5 cantons.

A referendum on a federal law on insolvency and debt was held in Switzerland on 17 November 1889. The new law was approved by 52.9% of voters.

A referendum on a war tax was held in Switzerland on 6 June 1915. Voters were asked whether they approved of amending the constitution to introduce a one-off war tax. It was approved by a large majority of voters and all cantons, the first time a referendum had been passed in every canton.

A referendum on foodstuffs was held in Switzerland on 10 June 1906. Voters were asked whether they approved of a new federal law concerning foodstuffs and basic commodities. The proposal was approved by 62.6% of voters.

A referendum on the armed forces was held in Switzerland on 3 November 1907. Voters were asked whether they approved of the organisation of the federal armed forces. The proposal was approved by 55.2% of voters.

A referendum on insurance was held in Switzerland on 4 February 1912. Voters were asked whether they approved of a federal law on health and accident insurance. The proposal was approved by 54.4% of voters.

A referendum on unfair competition was held in Switzerland on 29 October 1944. Voters were asked whether they approved of a new federal law on unfair competition. The proposal was approved by 52.9% of voters.

Two referendums were held in Switzerland during 1928. The first was held on 20 May, asking voters whether they approved of amending article 44 of the constitution regarding measures against foreign infiltrators, and was approved by a majority of voters and cantons. The second was held on 2 December, asking voters whether they approved of the "Kursaalspiele" popular initiative on gambling, and was also approved.

Five referendums were held in Switzerland in 1970. The first was held on 1 February on a federal resolution on the domestic sugar market, and was approved by voters. The second was held on 7 June on a popular initiative "against foreign infiltration", and was rejected by voters. The third and fourth were held on 27 September on an amendment to the Swiss Federal Constitution regarding promoting gymnastics and sports, which was approved, and a popular initiative on the "right to habitation and expansion of family protection", which was rejected. The fifth was held on 15 November on an amendment to the federal financial order, and was approved by voters.

References

  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p674 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. 1 2 3 Nohlen & Stöver, p685