# Sixth Republic: Authority, Popular Power and Recall Referendums - Original post: https://www.twitter.com/i/status/2117831716752544140 - Source account: [@rosebleuette](https://x.com/rosebleuette) - Source language: French - Target language: English - Duration: 3:57 - Published: 2026-11-04 - Machine translated. Check the original before quoting. - Canonical URL: https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums - Original-language version: https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/fr/sixi%C3%A8me-r%C3%A9publique-autorit%C3%A9-pouvoir-populaire-et-r%C3%A9f%C3%A9rendum-r%C3%A9vocatoire.md ## Transcript [0:00](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums) The founding principle of the Fifth Republic is the authority of a central figure. We all know that we need authority. authority. [0:08](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=8) But we know something else, that the exercise of this authority can turn into authoritarianism. [0:13](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=13) Authoritarianism is not the continuation of authority, it is its negation. [0:17](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=17) It is when authority is no longer accepted that you have to resort to more violent methods of authoritarianism. Right. [0:22](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=22) The central subject of the Sixth Republic is the people. [0:27](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=27) So the people must always have the tools for their intervention at the institutional, legal, and legitimate level. [0:35](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=35) We need to combine institutional stability with popular power. That's why the citizens' initiative referendum Citizen initiatives and recall referendums are the central tools and defining features of the Sixth Republic. [0:50](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=50) But there won't be a referendum every day, we know that perfectly well. There's also everything else about the institution that needs to be, uh, revised. That's why I called it the Sixth Republic. [1:00](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=60) Because it's clear that the central principle is no longer the same. [1:03](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=63) That's how we understand the role of head of state. [1:06](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=66) And it's understood through respect for a program. [1:09](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=69) If you do a Hollande, uh, “finance is my enemy,” and the next day… [1:14](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=74) Huh? No. So you've made a commitment, you keep it. [1:19](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=79) If things don't go as planned, you consult the people to find out if I did the right thing, if I did the wrong thing. I'm going to do this, do you agree or not? [1:25](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=85) And then the people say: You’re not the only one who matters. [1:28](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=88) We’re starting a petition because we’ve had enough of seeing you like this. [1:32](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=92) And we’re starting a petition to make you leave. [1:34](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=94) And it’s called a recall referendum. It’s a referendum that exists in three U.S. states, that existed, uh, in Venezuela, and in one or two other countries like that in Latin America that had introduced it. [1:48](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=108) And I think it’s worth it for us French people to, to try, uh, this form of authority. Let’s take an example. [1:56](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=116) Now they tell me: “Come on, you have to smooth over the rough edges for the second round.” [2:01](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=121) Why should I smooth over the rough edges? What for? [2:03](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=123) I’m defending a platform, I’m not smoothing anything over. [2:05](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=125) But I’ll tell people: This is why we have, Whatever your political views, I'll take both of you, I don't know your views, but I'm sure that, for example, when we talk about the budget, since you like your books to balance, you want to save money, [2:19](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=139) don't you? From what I understand. So you want to make cuts in social spending. [2:24](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=144) I don't know why, but it seems to be your pet issue. [2:26](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=146) And you'll tell me, “Well, let's make some cuts.” [2:28](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=148) I've got some suggestions for you. I suggest cutting healthcare spending, not by depriving people of medication, but by narrowing the definition of illness. [2:36](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=156) Whatever your views, you'll say yes. You won't say no. [2:40](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=160) You won't say, “Listen, we don't care, people are responsible.” [2:42](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=162) I heard that once. Someone said: A smoker can't ask for their cancer treatment to be paid for, uh, It's horrible, right, but we've heard it. [2:51](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=171) So I know you're going to say yes to me. [2:53](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=173) So we have, you, who aren't anti- capitalist, and me, who am, at some point, you and I, a common ground where we agree. [3:01](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=181) You say, “No, pesticides, you're going to stop putting them everywhere because we can see the results. And we'll have opposing political views, but we'll have the same understanding of the common good My political stance is that we should be guided by the common good of humanity. [3:18](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=198) I believe that the common good of humanity is opposed to the founding principle of capitalism, especially capitalism today, not the Capitalism in general, the person who starts a business and succeeds because they've made a discovery, the automatic nutcracker, [3:32](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=212) uh, the fridge that fills itself. Well, remarkable and interesting things for the life of human society. [3:38](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=218) But I'm talking about the capitalism of our time, dominated by hedge funds, dominated by speculators, people who raise interest rates to fleece an entire people. [3:47](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=227) But I'm sure we'll agree on the idea of the common good. [3:50](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Zs9XMcBLUBgn/en/sixth-republic-authority-popular-power-and-recall-referendums?t=230) Then, we'll discover that we don't necessarily always have the same idea.