How to constrain post-fascists in power

Fascinating insights here in this report from the Guardian of secret plans to ‘protect’ France should Le Pen become President. Contingency plans, of course, but nonetheless useful.

L’Obs cited three anonymous sources with knowledge of the emergency plan that would have been put into effect had Le Pen reached the Elysée palace, saying it was devised by a small group of ministers, chiefs of staff and top civil servants.

The magazine said the plan was aimed mainly at preventing serious civil unrest and “freezing” the political situation by convening parliament in emergency session and maintaining the outgoing prime minister in office.

And:

Police and intelligence services were particularly concerned by the threat of “extreme violence” from mainly far left protesters in the event of a Le Pen victory as the country would have found itself “on the brink of chaos”.

Frankly that sounds like a bit of an excuse, the point re a threat from the far left. But the French constitutional system is curious. For example..

Fears of political instability if the anti-immigration, anti-EU Front National leader had been elected were equally acute. Although he subsequently denied saying so, French media reported before the election that if Le Pen won, Socialist prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve would stay on at least until the parliamentary polls.

France’s constitution does not oblige a prime minister to step down when a new president is elected. Under article 8, “the president appoints” prime ministers – but only parliament can remove them from office, through a vote of no confidence.

Le Pen wasn’t going to get that majority – what a strange cohabitation that would be. And perhaps a toothless one for Le Pen…

The will of the electorate would have been respected: the presidency would have passed from François Hollande to Le Pen. But the government, officials said, would have assured “the security of the state … Government is about planning ahead.”