By the way, France has probably changed its constitution more often and more sharply than any other European country. The present one is the Fifth Republic (installed by de Gaulle who came to power in 1958) and it's a sharp break with all the earlier ones - gives the President more power than any earlier, he is even more powerful on home ground than the US President. Notoriously, he can pronounce himself dictator, dissolve the Parliament and bypass the cabinet all on his own in a national crisis - I don't think the US No.1 can legally do that? (this paragraph of course has never yet been used)