After the French Elections
Livian, Marcel
After the French Elections DeGaulle Faces Necessity of Organizing Coalition Government By Marcel Livian Member of the Committee oh foreign Policy of the French .Socialist Part*; epecial...
...This is convincing proof of the confidence of the public in General de Gaulle...
...The Communists, faithful to the foreign policies of the Kremlin through all their variations, are s*worn to ths organization of the peace by the Big Three, or the Big Five—a setup which is fundamentally anti-Socialist and antidemocratic...
...epecial eorreepondent of The New Leader in Paris WITH 17,812,609 votes the people of France here replied to the question as to whether they want a new constitution...
...The negative ballots numbered 669,279...
...The three parties received practically equal support...
...His position is not dependent on any combination of the victorious parties...
...The MRP is a new party which de-vel >ped from the Resistance Movement* Originally it included all the small business and working-class elements which because ot their religion could not join a secular ami revolutionary party like the Socialists and Communists or a non-revolutionary party like that of the Radieal Socialists...
...A Sociolisr Communist Cedition...
...The Parties Which Now Dominate ThREE parties emerge as victors from the electoral fray and now become responsible for the character of the government...
...Leon Blum ssid that he would rather alarm the voters than to deceive them...
...No one can be sure that the MRP is sincerely devoted to the realization of the Resistance program...
...His play, Twilight Bar, serves as an eerie confirmation...
...If any one of the three parties had received a majority the political problems of France could have been more easily solved...
...The Socialist Pwty made a straight campaign on the basis of its program without any unnecessary beating of the drums...
...It is, on the contrary, an attempt to develop the idea of democracy at the international level, and without such an application of the democratic principle no peace plan will endure...
...This program, it is true, merely sketched general lines of policy...
...The result Is that the Socialists have consolidated their position among working-class groups...
...But the gravest objection to a Socialist-Communist coalition is the basic divergence of the two parties on foreign policy...
...With regard to the Socialist-MRP combination, it is true that there are many points of agreement, but there are also great differences...
...In the order of the number of votes which were given to their candidates the three are as follows: The Communist Party, the Popular Republican Movement (MRP), and the Socialist Party...
...In the area of domestic affairs the progrsms of the three parties present no problems...
...War's devastation has left almost the entire population in great misery...
...The Communists, on the contrary, are bent on convincing the Socialists chat a combination with them is the beat solution of the problem which is presented by the existence of three practically equal parties in France...
...For one thing, the Socialists fear that the reactionary—or even Fascist—elements in the MRP may have a growing ' influence...
...9, 1948, for her effort to promote better relations with Russia...
...As things are, this second method of setting up a government is open to serious objections...
...This great affirmative majority proves the desire of the voters for a more practical relationship between the executive and legislative bodies ol the government...
...The experience of its members in working out and popularizing the simple program of the Resistance Movement stood them in good stead...
...The second question to the electorate was answered with "yes" by 12,224,180 (66.3 percent) and with "no" by 6,250,-698 (U3.7 |>ercent...
...We face a period of great difficulty...
...It could not create a world in which trchnichl progress was so fitted into our national life that it could satisfy the desires which were awakened...
...And can the principle of the separation of church and state which means so much to the Socialists be safeguarded by a combination of partiea which are directly opposed in their attitudes toward it...
...The experience of 1986 showed how ruthlessly the Communists can make use of such a situation...
...These groups were swept away, this great party went to pieces—just as in England the Liberal Party found itself out-of-date and prac-teically superceded...
...The Socialists, as Leon Blum explained anew over the radio on the eve of the election, are more than ever devoted to the idea of collective security, under a democratic world federation...
...Moreover, as in the case of Socialist-MRP coalition, this arrangement would not l>e in accord with the clearly expressed will of the electorate...
...In the first place, de Gaulle, who has been designated by the electorate as head of the government, would not accept it...
...They will call their followers out on strike and do their utmost to add to the confusion snd distress...
...In the field of foreign affairs, it is up to de Gaulle ami the MRP to arbitrate the profound differences which divide ths two proletarian parties...
...French Labor Federation Has Two Presidents TllE long drawn-out factional differences within the French Confederation of l ill.oi came recently to the fore during discussion by the National Committee of the CGT...
...These two parties are broadly in accord as to their tlomestic program and even more in agreement on matters of foreign policy...
...But if they were in agreement, there would be only one party, not two...
...Gaulle would not be displeased with a regime supported by this combination: In agreement with him both parties voted yes on the two vital questions put to the citizens...
...Whatever differences should develop between the two parties on matters of detail, it is clear that General de...
...The pe iple of France desire greater stability of the cabinet without any diminution of the legislative authority of Parliament...
...This sort of propaganda was rendered effective by what amounted to a sort of collusion on the part of the Radical Socialists...
...The Stalinists are objecting...
...The MRP, they maintain, is a reactionary movement...
...Many bourgeois groups have entered this party...
...It has been determined by the majority given to bim and his ideas by the people of France...
...The Socialists and Communists in a coalition would possess a comfortable majority and since they both represent the interests of the workingclass their collaboration would be the surest foundation for a progressive policy...
...The Communist faction asked for the appointment of a second president to serve with Loon .louhaux as the highest officer of the Confederation...
...the CGT will thus have two presidents, Leon Jouhaux and Benoit Francho, who was until recently a member of the Communist Party's Central Committee...
...The Socialist Party and MRP TllE advocates of a coalition government to be conducted by these two partiea can make a good argument for their pro-, posal...
...No matter how conscientiously a new government may work to ameliorate the situation, there will be delays and unrest...
...Things are now worse than they were then...
...General de Gaulle ia clearly designated as the future head of the government...
...ThE second solution, a Communist-Socialist combination, is not in itself without attractions...
...Thus Frenchmen have rejected the constitution of 1875...
...The support of such groups they attracted by reason of their dynamism, their talent for publicity and propaganda and...
...The American Russian Institute will give an award to Mrs...
...Many groups—even a great party like that of the Radical Socialists— felt the impact of this change...
...The success of the Communists is partly due U> the fact that their party was able to draw certain petty bourgeois elements and even some peasants who have hitherto remained faithful to the Radical Socialists...
...It could not bridge the gulf between the madern system of production and an antiquated system of distribution...
...They will throw themselves into the fray with attractive slogans and ruthless charges...
...It was not a blueprint of a definite social and economic plan...
...All of them heve pledged their support to the program worked out by the Resistance Movement, ff each of them lives up to its promises, collaboration is possible though not easy...
...Dealing in fantasy with the problem of what happens when the earth has ta become happy in three days or be annihilated by delta rays, the play now sounds like realistic drama...
...Since no party has a majority in the Constituent Assembly, there must be a combination of two or three of them...
...The Socialist Party will no doubt reject both of these solutions...
...Europe, the entire world will have reason to reji ice...
...Can one be sure that they will pull for the carrying out of the program which, during the time of the occupation, was largely worked out and championed by the Socialists...
...This new party would not have achieved such a triumph had it not been joined since liberation by certain reactionary elements...
...This proposal was attacked by ths Socialist wing of the CGT and also by Louis Saillant, who was the president of the CGT during the underground period and is one of the most prominent figures of the French labor movement The Communist-inspired resolution was carried by 89 votes against 42...
...The Socialist idea of collective security is not directed against the USSR or against anyone...
...It was announced at this meeting that ths French Confederation of Labor now hss 6,429.000 members.—LP A • • it has been said of Arthur Koestlec thst he hss an uncanny sense of ths mood of the times...
...especially, by their accent on purely negative criticism, a form of campaigning which is In line with the revolutionary tradition of the French...
...There is no reason, as Leon Blum wrote, to be suspicious of the MRP, for this party continuously down to the present has proclaimed its support of the Resistance program...
...Roosevelt on Jan...
...The Communists, if they are in opposition, will go into action at the first signs of popular discontent...
...Broadway producer George Abbott has bought ths play and hopes to present it in February...
...But no matter how difficult the problem of setting up a workable combination, it is the plain duty of the party leaders to seek solutions of our problems which are in line with the expressed will ef the people...
...It died because the liberal capitalist regime which it represented proved itselt incapable of solving the basic problem of our time...
...What could we not achieve it' these two parties were genuinely in agreement...
...They have declared for a break with the past—economic, social, political, parliamentary...
...Both of them supported the program ot the National Resistance Movement...
...But hesitation about forming this union of forces is motivated by another consideration of even greater importance...
...Leaving aside the personal aspect of the situation, the natural distaste of de Gaulle for a party which directed ita campaign exclusively against him and his policies, there is much to be said in favor of this combination...
...No matter what combinations are made or what solutiona are decided upon, de Gaulle has been elected to lead the Fourth Republic during its future formative period...
...Like de Gaulle they are partisans of collective security as the only guarantee of a stable, just and durable peace...
...It is proof, moreover, of the backfiring of the virulent campaign against the General by the Communists and the Radicals...
...The Third Republic is dead...
...But agreement with regard to it did indicate a general harmony on the direction which the nation should take...
...One important point is beyond controversy...
...It their decision is in favor of a democratic solution of the international problem, France...
Vol. 28 • November 1945 • No. 45
