French Fifth Republic French Fifth Republic 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 ("the spirit of
President of France President of France The President of the French Republic (, ) is the executive head of state of France in the French Fifth Republic. In French terms, the presidency is the supreme magistracy of the country. The powers, functions and duties of prior presidential offices, and their relation with the Prime Minister and Cabinet, have over time differed with the various French constitutions since 1848 (the final end of the French Monarchy). The President of the French Republic is also the "ex officio" Co-Prince of Andorra, Grand Master of the Légion d'honneur and the National Order of Merit, and honorary