Referendum in France in 1969 on Senate and regional reform

The 1969 referendum in France on Senate and regional reform took place on April 27, 1969. The planned reform included a transformation of the Senate and the introduction of regions as new regional authorities. The bill was rejected by a majority of voters. As a result of the vote defeat, Charles de Gaulle resigned from the office of President.

prehistory

Charles de Gaulle (1963)

The national crisis of 1958 brought Charles de Gaulle to power, who introduced a fundamental change in the French constitution towards a presidential democracy. De Gaulle became the first President of this new Fifth French Republic . During his tenure as president, de Gaulle used the plebiscite several times to have important political decisions confirmed directly by the people - in the context of the Algerian crisis of 1961-62 and on the question of the direct election of the president in 1962.

In May 1968 there was a new crisis, which began with student riots in Paris, then developed into real street battles with barricades and finally culminated in a nationwide general strike. On May 30, 1968, de Gaulle called on the French to return to orderly conditions and announced new elections. The unrest subsided and in the elections for the National Assembly on June 23 and 30, 1968 , the ruling Gaullists gained significantly more votes and seats in parliament, so that de Gaulle's political position seemed stronger.

In response to the May riots in Paris, in which many dissatisfactions with the political and economic conditions had erupted, de Gaulle declared in a speech on May 24, 1968 that it was necessary to change French society ( «nécessité d ' une mutation de la société française » ). This includes a reform of the universities, the economy and the world of life and work. The aim must be an increased involvement of the population in the political decision-making processes, the results of which they are directly affected.

«Tout indique que cette mutation doit comporter une participation plus étendue de chacun à la marche et aux résultats de l'activité qui le concerne directement. »

"Everything indicates that this change must involve wider participation of all in the outcomes of the activities that directly affect them."

- Charles de Gaulle : speech of May 24, 1968

In the speech, de Gaulle announced a referendum on state reform. The date of the referendum was then postponed and finally set for April 27, 1969. The envisaged reform included two constitutional reforms: on the one hand, a reform of the second chamber of parliament, the Senate and, on the other, a regional reform for decentralization.

Regional reform project

→ Main article : Region (France)

Map of the projected regions from 1969

Since the beginning of the 20th century at the latest, there have been political tendencies in France to reduce the centralization of political life, which was brought to a head during the French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic period. This tendency continued in the Fourth and Fifth Republic. By decree of June 30, 1955, regional action programs ( programmes d'action regional ) were brought into being. These action programs were intended to promote the economic development of underdeveloped regions and were not intended to be separate legal entities. They were financed by the responsible ministries and were each chaired by a Département Prefect ( Préfet coordonnateur ), who was advised by a conference interdepartementale . Since 1959/60 there were 21 regional action groups ( circonscriptions d'action regional ).

The draft law submitted in the 1969 referendum provided that the regions should in future receive the status of local authorities ( collectivites territoriales ). The task of these institutions should be to promote economic, social and cultural development. Organs of the region should be a regional prefect and an elected regional council.

Senate reform project

→ Main article : Senate (France)

The envisaged reform of the Senate included, on the one hand, a merger with the Economic and Social Council ( Conseil économique et social ) to form a new Senate, which was supposed to only have an advisory function without legislative competence. The new Senate was to consist of 173 senators (160 from metropolitan France , 7 from the Départements d'outre-mer , 6 from the Territoires d'outre-mer ), who were to be elected for 6 instead of 9 years. These should be elected indirectly in the regions by the elected representatives, regional councils, departmental councils and representatives of the cities. The minimum age for eligibility has been reduced from 35 to 23 years. 4 Senators were to represent the French abroad and were appointed by the Conseil supérieur des Français de l'étranger (Supreme Council of French Abroad). 146 senators should represent economic, social and cultural activities and be elected by appropriate institutions (42 for employees, 30 for agriculture, 36 for companies, 10 for families, 8 for professions, 8 for research and science and 12 for social and cultural activities).

Political positions

The plans for constitutional reform sparked different reactions in the political camps. While the Gaullists predominantly supported the project, the party leader of the Socialists ( SFIO ) Guy Mollet spoke of a “wrong regionalization, a wrong participation” and a “falsified referendum” and called for rejection. The main argument of the political left was the rejection of the quasi-abolition of the Senate. The communists were against it on principle and Jacques Duhamel from the centrist Progrès et démocratie moderne (PDM) expressed skepticism. Some critics complained about the planned regional reform that it did not go far enough and that the competencies of the new regions were insufficient. Prominent figures in the bourgeois camp who spoke out in favor of a no vote were Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and Interior Minister Raymond Marcellin . Old political enmities emerged in the election campaign. Supporters of an Algérie française like Jacques Soustelle , who felt betrayed by de Gaulle in 1961/62, spoke in favor of a “no” vote.

Opinion polls in the months leading up to the referendum showed that the electorate was roughly 1: 1 split. de Gaulle linked the vote to his political future. He said he would resign in the event of an election defeat. This statement, which was probably intended as a means of exerting pressure on the Gaullists who were still undecided, lost its effect when the popular ex-Prime Minister Georges Pompidou declared that he would be standing as a candidate for the presidency if necessary.

Question of the referendum

The referendum question was:

«Approvez-vous le projet de loi soumis au peuple français par le président de la République et relatif à la création de régions et à la rénovation du Sénat? »

"Do you agree to the bill proposed by the President of the Republic to the French people, which includes the creation of regions and the renewal of the Senate?"

- Question of the referendum on April 27, 1969

Results

Majorities based on departments and overseas possessions

voter turnout

Overall result

The turnout was high at 80.13%. The voters rejected the draft constitutional reform with a relatively narrow but clear majority of 52.41%.

Overall results (metropolitan France and overseas territories)

Voters	number	percent
Eligible voters	29,392,390	100.0%
Votes cast	23,552,611	80.13%
Valid votes	22,908,855	97.26%
Yes votes	10,901,753	47.59%
Vote no	12.007.102	52.41%

1. ↑ ^{a b} based on the valid votes

Results in metropolitan France

The following table shows the results in metropolitan France by department . The majority of the departments voted against the reform draft. The highest proportion of “yes” votes was found in the north-west and east ( Alsace , parts of Lorraine , Franche-Comté and Champagne ), in the western Massif Central , in Béarn , and on Corsica .

Results by departments in metropolitan France

Department	electoral legitimate	electoral participation	Percent yes	Percent no	Percent Invalid
Ain	201,517	74.6	47.4	52.6	2.6
Aisne	294.052	83.7	45.7	54.3	2.6
Allier	242,967	79.0	40.2	59.8	2.8
Basses-Alpes	65,244	80.4	42.9	57.1	3.0
Hautes-Alpes	58,489	78.7	47.6	52.4	2.6
Alpes-Maritimes	425.429	80.0	40.2	59.8	2.5
Ardèche	166.310	79.1	49.4	50.6	2.5
Ardennes	165.907	80.9	48.2	51.8	2.6
Ariège	94,419	78.4	40.7	59.3	2.1
Aube	155,436	80.9	48.2	51.8	3.0
Aude	176.049	82.4	38.4	61.6	2.5
Aveyron	187.865	80.8	53.2	46.8	4.3
Bouches-du-Rhône	765.247	78.3	38.5	61.5	2.2
Calvados	291,528	81.2	50.1	49.9	2.7
Cantal	110.019	75.1	56.4	43.6	2.3
Charente	206.275	79.8	45.2	54.8	3.1
Charente-Maritime	295,800	77.5	45.2	54.8	2.7
Cher	187.026	79.7	44.3	55.7	2.7
Corrèze	161,304	82.1	43.5	56.5	2.3
Corsica	181.226	57.7	54.1	45.9	0.8
Côte-d'Or	237,636	77.8	47.4	52.6	2.9
Côtes-du-Nord	329.222	83.3	49.3	50.7	2.4
Creuse	110,369	72.9	43.5	56.5	2.3
Dordogne	252.496	83.6	44.2	55.8	2.9
Doubs	227,771	80.9	51.8	48.2	2.8
Drôme	202.199	78.5	42.6	57.4	2.5
Your	220.479	82.4	44.6	55.4	2.7
Eure-et-Loir	178,960	82.3	49.1	50.9	3.0
Finistère	497.906	81.3	57.3	42.7	1.9
Gard	286,460	79.4	40.3	59.7	2.7
Haute-Garonne	396.824	79.5	41.2	58.8	2.7
Gers	114,484	78.1	38.4	61.6	2.8
Gironde	595,342	79.3	42.9	57.1	2.4
Herault	337,688	78.7	39.8	60.2	2.3
Ille-et-Vilaine	389,949	81.5	58.9	41.1	3.2
Indre	160,736	79.9	41.6	58.4	3.3
Indre-et-Loire	252,416	79.5	44.9	55.1	4.5
Isère	417.881	78.3	40.9	59.1	2.2
law	143,688	78.8	45.3	54.7	3.2
Country	180.156	83.1	49.8	50.2	2.3
Loir-et-Cher	164.817	82.0	43.1	56.9	3.1
Loire	416.122	75.9	47.0	53.0	3.0
Haute Loire	137.374	76.9	53.4	46.6	3.2
Loire-Atlantique	505.348	81.3	52.6	47.4	2.9
Loiret	250,745	81.9	49.9	50.1	3.3
Lot	101,098	82.9	45.1	54.9	2.6
Lot-et-Garonne	177,697	82.7	39.7	60.3	3.1
Lozère	53,070	76.5	61.0	39.0	2.9
Maine-et-Loire	338304	79.9	58.0	42.0	3.5
Some	269.028	80.1	58.4	41.6	3.2
Marne	266,456	80.2	47.9	52.1	3.0
Haute-Marne	121,933	80.8	53.0	47.0	3.3
Mayenne	153,725	82.8	59.5	40.5	4.5
Meurthe-et-Moselle	376.285	80.7	43.5	56.5	2.7
Meuse	120,406	81.4	54.2	45.8	3.0
Morbihan	338.311	80.8	61.3	38.7	2.5
Moselle	493.094	81.4	59.8	40.2	2.7
Nièvre	155,894	81.0	39.0	61.0	2.5
North	1.330.147	85.8	48.3	51.7	2.8
Oise	292.914	83.4	46.1	53.9	2.9
Orne	169,548	81.0	51.0	49.0	3.1
Pas-de-Calais	769.220	86.4	45.5	54.5	2.4
Puy-de-Dôme	322.279	77.6	41.5	58.5	2.7
Basses-Pyrénées	314.810	79.9	53.1	46.9	2.2
Hautes-Pyrénées	141.008	77.7	43.3	56.7	2.2
Pyrénées-Orientales	169.386	77.3	38.6	61.4	2.5
Bas-Rhin	468.938	76.2	68.2	31.8	3.0
Haut-Rhin	342,381	78.8	67.6	32.4	3.5
Rhône	684,581	79.1	42.2	57.8	2.6
Haute-Saône	132,558	81.8	48.5	51.5	3.1
Saône-et-Loire	333.253	75.6	46.7	53.3	2.8
Sarthe	271.155	80.8	48.6	51.4	3.1
Savoie	165.951	75.3	45.3	54.7	2.5
Haute-Savoie	211,429	76.3	47.7	52.3	2.6
Paris	1,439,646	79.0	44.0	56.0	2.6
Seine-Maritime	634.834	81.6	44.4	55.6	2.8
Seine-et-Marne	339,562	81.0	46.0	54.0	2.7
Yvelines	453.616	83.3	43.2	56.8	2.7
Deux-Sèvres	200,641	80.3	52.7	47.3	4.1
Somme	301,346	87.0	45.5	54.5	2.7
Camouflage	210.353	84.5	45.5	54.5	3.7
Tarn-et-Garonne	112,400	82.5	44.4	55.6	3.5
Var	328.039	78.5	42.7	57.3	2.2
Vaucluse	202,890	82.5	38.3	61.7	3.4
Vendée	259.117	83.4	64.1	35.9	4.2
Vienne	207.007	80.1	49.3	50.7	3.4
Haute-Vienne	237,705	77.7	41.2	58.8	3.0
Vosges	232,540	79.2	53.8	46.2	4.0
Yonne	174,233	80.5	47.9	52.1	2.8
Territoire de Belfort	65,059	79.7	47.7	52.3	2.5
Essonne	358.971	83.6	41.4	58.6	2.7
Hauts-de-Seine	794.313	82.6	41.3	58.7	2.6
Seine-Saint-Denis	626.754	83.1	37.0	63.0	2.3
Val-de-Marne	592.990	82.5	40.1	59.9	2.4
Val d'Oise	359,640	83.3	40.3	59.7	2.4

Results in the overseas departments

All overseas departments voted for the bill with a large majority.

Department	electoral legitimate	electoral participation	Percent yes	Percent no	Percent Invalid
French Guyana	16,765	42.3	79.0	21.0	4.3
Guadeloupe	136.175	34.7	73.9	26.1	3.5
Martinique	151.981	55.5	88.6	11.4	4.3
Reunion	176.296	62.1	91.5	8.5	1.1

Results in the overseas territories

Of the overseas territories, only French Polynesia voted against the reform, all the others voted for it with a large majority in some cases.

Department	electoral legitimate	electoral participation	Percent yes	Percent no	Percent Invalid
Afar and Issa Territory	43.113	89.9	97.3	2.7	0.9
Comoros	123.256	89.5	99.7	0.3	0.2
French Polynesia	40.504	71.4	47.0	53.0	0.7
New Caledonia and New Hebrides	41,812	65.7	54.2	45.8	1.4
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon	3.231	72.6	87.8	12.2	3.3
Wallis and Futuna	3,565	90.5	74.9	25.1	0.8

Further development

After the result of the referendum became known, de Gaulle declared in a speech on April 28, 1969 that he would immediately resign from the office of President. According to the constitution, Senate President Alain Poher took over the office temporarily. On June 1 and 15, 1969, the new election of the president took place, which Georges Pompidou won.

On July 5, 1972, the law on regional reform was passed ( Loi no. 72-619 du 5 juillet 1972 portant creation et organization des régions ). However, the 21 regions created by the law ( special regulations applied to the Région parisienne ) were not regional authorities, but institutions under public law ( établissement public ). With the regional reform in 1982, the regions received the status of local authorities.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Frédéric Bon: Le référendum du 27 avril 1969: suicide politique ou nécessité stratégique? In: Revue française de science . tape 20 , no. 2 , 1970, p. 205–223 , doi : 10.3406 / rfsp. 1970.393222 (French, persee.fr ).
2. ^ ^{A b} Manfred Dauses: Basic features of the regional reform in France . In: German Administrative Gazette (DVBL) . tape 89 , August 15, 1974, p. 613-619 ( kobv.de [PDF]).
3. ^ ^{A b c} Serge Berstein: The Republic of de Gaulle 1958-1969 . Cambridge University Press, 1993, ISBN 978-0-521-25239-3 , pp. 273 (English).
4. ^ Reform by referendum. ZEIT online, February 7, 1969, accessed on February 26, 2017 . 
5. ↑ Référendum de 1969: participation et réforme du Sénat. www.france-politique.fr, accessed on February 26, 2017 (French). 
6. ↑ ^{a b} Conseil Constitutionnel: PROCLAMATION des résultats du référendum du 27 avril 1969 concernant le projet de loi relatif à la création de régions et à la rénovation du Sénat . In: Journal Officiel de la Republique Française . May 3, 1969, p. 4445–4446 (French, gouv.fr [PDF]).
7. ^ Theo Sommer : The General's Farewell. ZEIT online, May 2, 1969, accessed February 26, 2017 . 
8. ^ Robert J. Jackson: The succession of Georges Pompidou: The French Presidential election of 1969 . tape 61 , no. 2 . Wiley & Sons, April 1970, pp. 156–169 , doi : 10.1111 / j.1467-923X.1970.tb01161.x (English).