http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/french-politics Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Fri, 19 Jun 2026 05:08:10 -0400 Fri, 19 Jun 2026 05:08:10 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/596/preserving-the-role-of-the-french-constitutional-council-as-a-check-on-executive-power By Oliver Rieche - The Constitutional Council was established when the Fifth Republic was born in 1958 (Cole 1998, p. 63). Initially designed as a tool to protect the executive against parliament, the Council evolved into a powerful force against the government (Elgie and Griggs 2000, p. 27). It ensures that elections are conducted fairly and that bills conform to the constitution (Slater 1985, p. 180). This essay argues that the most important role of the Constitutional Council today is to serve as a check on executive power in order to protect the rights of citizens. To understand this, we need to contrast its... Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:33 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/596/preserving-the-role-of-the-french-constitutional-council-as-a-check-on-executive-power