Volume 9, numéro 4, 1978

EN :

The international aspect of electoral consultations is too often neglected by researchers. In the specific case of France, observation shows that international stakes have already played an important role in other circumstances (notably in 1973). In 1978, the confrontation opposing the majority in power and the leftist opposition was played out, in part, on international problems. The defeat of the left has certainly multiple causes ; but the rupture which weakened the opposition occurred, initially, because of questions of foreign policy ; as for the incumbent majority, it found in the continuity of foreign policy its best arguments with public opinion. Just as foreign policy was able to contribute, in a certain way, to electoral results, the latter could have a certain influence on the course of French foreign policy. This case study suggests the need for further comparative research in order to draw up a typology of electoral consultations, according to whether or not they involve an external stake, but also to define more precisely the ambiguous concept of foreign policy — which may not be reduced, as the French electoral campaign of 1978 proves, to problems of alliances and defense only.

EN :

Using a method of content analysis which has been elaborated specifically to that end, this research analyses the perception of the French political parties with regard to Europe, the European institutions and the European integration process in general. The data selected to that end were the speeches pronounced during the French referendum on Europe held in April 1972. The main conclusion of this comparative analysis is to the effect that the image that the French political parties have presented of Europe and of the European institutions at that time, was altogether a rather abstract, idealist and descriptive one, which did not emphasize the necessity for further integration.