First published in 1979, in Conflict and Consensus in France a number of authorities on French politics examine some of the basic problems of legitimacy, consensus formation and conflict resolution which the regime continues to face after the elections of March 1978. Early in 1978 the French Fifth Republic, then twenty five years old, appeared to be facing a major political and constitutional crisis. That crisis did not materialize as the result of the totally unexpected defeat of the left in the March 1978 elections.
Professor Douglas Johnson analyses the historical debate about the divisions in French society. John Frears raises the question of the validity of President Giscard d’Estaing’s views on legitimacy and consensus. Vincent Wright looks at the conflicts which emerged during the March 1978 election campaign and the extent to which they have been resolved. ‘Dissentient France’ is examined by Professor Jack Hayward while Anne Stevens explores the conflicts which riddle the French administration. Four policy areas are then analyzed by Diana Green, Ezra Suleiman, Dorothy Pickles and Howard Machin in order to determine the extent of conflict and consensus among the French political elites. This is an important historical reference work for students and scholars of French politics.