French Fifth Republic

The French Fifth Republic is France's current republican system of government, established on October 4, 1958, by Charles de Gaulle under the Constitution of the Fifth Republic. Emerging from the collapse of the Fourth Republic, it replaced the former parliamentary republic with a semi-presidential system. This system splits powers between a president as head of state and a prime minister as head of government. Charles de Gaulle, the first president elected under this system in December 1958, advocated for a strong head of state. The Fifth Republic is France's third-longest-lasting political regime.