Chirac’s shortening of the presidential term from seven to five years has, paradoxically, resulted in an even greater concentration of presidential power. The problem with this omnipotent presidency is that the qualities needed in order to be elected are not necessarily those required to master the art of government, with its mixture of distance, patience, serenity, and modesty, in addition to energy and activism.
近60年以来，普选权都赋予了历届法国总统帝王般的权威，他们手中握有的权力比其他各国领袖都要多。讽刺的是，希拉克将总统任期从7年缩短到5年的做法反而令权力更加集中到总统手中。这种权倾一时的总统制的问题就在于拿到了大多数选票并不意味着当选人就掌握了治理的艺术——这是一种矜持，耐心，宁静以及温和的混合体，再加上政治能量以及行动主义。