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Comment by Molitor5901 | Hacker News Reader

What are thoughts about broader issues of a fixed-term legislature, versus one that requires the confidence of the legislature and could be created.. and collapsed very quickly? The constant teetering on the edge of deadlock and collapse seems to create a lot of instability.

A more specific question: Is the design of the French legislative system to blame for this?

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The legislature hasn’t collapsed - parliamentarians still have their position. There is no stable government able to command a majority. If a government can’t command a majority of a legislature, it can’t legislate, so it can’t meaningfully govern. You could proceed bill by bill, but that’s a different kind of instability.

The French 5th republic (~= constitution v5) places stability above debate and compromise. Or at least that's what they were going for when the 4th republic was scrapped.

Isn't that essentially the definition of a parliamentary government? That would be a MAJOR change to the constitution, I'd imagine. Googling... France is on its 15th constitution, and 5th "Republic", so... I guess it's not as big a deal as I thought.

Frankly, America's 3-house, fixed-term system works, except when a demagogue controls the legislative branch (it works until it doesn't). Term-limited presidency is frighteningly obviously important.

France's executive branch is still not failing as well as Italy, but they're giving it every try at least.

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