Abstract
The French Fourth Republic collapsed following the rise of the civil war in Algeria. Its lack of stability, which was a consequence of its parliamentary structure and the weaknesses of its parties, did not manage to survive this major crisis, and pointed out the need for a stronger executive regime. On average, the parties during the fourth republic represented only 15 % of the electorate a piece. The Communist party was actually the strongest at this time, accounting for between 20% and 25% of the vote. All the parties were focused on narrow interests and clienteles and governments were built of very heterogeneous coalitions. Kirchheimer explained that a catch-all party abandoned attempts at the intellectual and moral encadrement of the working class, turning more fully for a wider audience and immediate electoral success . While the Fourth Republic never managed to contribute to the emergence of this type of party, the Fifth Republic wished by De Gaulle and adopted in September by about 80% of the French people, might have introduced a significant turn in the French party system.
