The Press FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1958. Instability in France

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28541, 21 March 1958, Page 10

The Press FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1958. Instability in France

The French National Assembly has given Mr Felix Gaillard’s coalition Government a vote of confidence on a bill to strengthen the constitution; but evidence is mounting that the reprieve thus gained will be brief. The question now is when, rather than whether, the Government Will fall. Before Mr Gaillard took office, France was for five weeks without a government when decisive leadership was vitally needed. Mr Gaillard accepted as his primary objectives the settlement of the Algerian question and the establishment of more stable government. In both his progress has been negligible. Indeed, during his premiership France has considerably worsened its position in the eyes of the world through the bombing of Sakiet Sidi Youssef and the conduct of some French troops in Algeria. Because of the cantonal elections, the Assembly will adjourn at the end of this month till the end of April; and the Gaillard Government may retain nominal power till then. However, the manner in which a more positive and progressive approach to a North African settlement is being frustrated by party bickerings has again been demonstrated by the threat of the Conservatives to withdraw their representatives from the Government if what they consider excessive concessions are made to Tunisia. The gradual breakdown of Mr Gaillard’s coalition is very evident. His supporters on the Right, who advocate a more militant policy on Algeria, consider him too weak; the Socialists are giving him only tepid support and the Christian Democrats have lost faith in his Cabinet. The protracted instability of

Parliamentary government has created in France feelings of bewilderment and dismay. Failure to conclude the Algerian war successfully is seen as a threat to France’s greatness; and the retention of a colonial empire at all costs is, in many quarters, regarded as essential to France’s maintenance of its status as a great Power. The trend is towards rejecting any move to reach a compromise agreement on Algeria, even if ‘his could mean the preservation of French economic interests there. Mr Gaillard has already attempted to win support by yielding to Rightwing pressure for intensified warfare, but the end of the war seems further off than ever.

In this atmosphere of unrealised hopes, speculation is increasing on what lies beyond the fall of the Gaillard Government, and the opinion has grown that France must - adopt radical means to secure the leadership it needs. Recently, there has been a marked revival of interest in the prospect of a return to politics by General de Gaulle. As a solution to the North African problem, he is believed to favour the creation of a French Commonwealth, in which Algeria would ultimately have equal status with the other partners. However, the obstacles to General de Gaulle’s return are numerous and formidable. He is mistrusted by former supporters of the Vichy regime; he is unwilling to threaten his heroic reputation by resuming political activity; and the constitutional powers which he would demand are so wide that they are unlikely to be granted. But the cry for a leader to “ save “France” is growing more insistent. General de Gaulle must be strongly tempted to answer it.