President Emmanuel Macron laid out a plan to give Corsica more autonomy and to decentralize some powers as part of a broader reform to France’s Constitution. The move comes at a commemorative moment for the Republic and during debates about replacing Magna Carta with a modern constitutional framework. With a divided National Assembly and Senate, the reform faces notable hurdles, echoing a stalled constitutional revision from Macron’s first term.
Macron spoke at a morning event held at the Paris headquarters of the Constitutional Council, France’s constitutional court. He said that change can serve the nation’s interests when it supports consistency and harmony, and that reform should be guided by clear imperatives rather than political convenience.
The Fifth Republic has endured as France’s longest-running republican system, yet it shows strain within its centralized, presidential model. The pension reform debate earlier this year highlighted this fatigue, with polls showing broad concern and the measure moving forward without a formal parliamentary vote. In this climate, the left-wing coalition NUPES has urged a more horizontal, parliamentary approach with greater power for referendums and citizen input.
specific changes
Macron’s strategy centers on concrete amendments rather than a full rewrite. He calls for reform of Article 11 to empower centrist leadership and for a broader scope of referendums beyond traditional areas such as public powers and economic, social, and environmental policy. While not detailing every element in a public speech, he suggested holding referendums in September and floated topics including immigration measures, a proposal that enjoys broad support from the right-leaning Republicans and from Marine Le Pen’s National Rally.
A second strand aims to ease the conditions for citizen-initiated referendums, known as RIPs. The current framework requires nearly five million signatures and cross-chamber consent from Parliament and the Senate. Macron acknowledged this framework is very limiting and signaled openness to reforms that would empower direct citizen input.
The reform package also mentions New Caledonia, explicitly recognizes Corsica’s autonomy, and includes protections for abortion rights and climate action. Critics note that the president has dismissed proposals to amend the presidential term limit, calling the two-term restriction unnecessary while at a later moment labeling it a controversial mistake during meetings with political leaders.
‘Democratic crisis’ in France
Earlier reform attempts faced stiff resistance from the Senate, where the Republican right maintains a strong regional presence despite national declines. The absence of an absolute majority for Macron’s party in the National Assembly compounds the difficulty of any constitutional change. For reform to pass, it must be approved by both houses with a two-thirds majority, a balance that appears unlikely given current political dynamics. A rising sense of crisis in civil society and among left-wing groups has intensified calls for a more ambitious constitutional refresh to restore legitimacy and representation.
Analysts observe that the Fifth Republic is under strain as institutions and public opinion drift apart. Some political commentators argue that the broad consensus needed for major constitutional reform has faded, while others warn that France faces a continuing crisis of representation. In this discourse, historical voices about the relationship between institutions and ideas are cited to underscore the need for change when public trust erodes. Scholars emphasize the importance of shared political will to move beyond fragmentation and to restore a functional constitutional order. The discussion remains heated as France contemplates the future of its governance and the balance between representative and direct democracy.