Presidential Election 2027: "The complexity of amending the Constitution does not give the right to disregard the rules it imposes"

As the 2027 presidential election approaches, the debate over using Article 11 to amend the Constitution resurfaces. Marine Le Pen, the National Rally candidate, proposes a referendum to embed far-right principles in the Constitution. Supporters cite past precedents and potential parliamentary blockages. However, a key question arises: can a president bypass constitutional rules to modify it? The Constitution outlines two distinct procedures: Article 11 allows the president to submit laws for referendum, while Article 89 requires parliamentary approval before any constitutional amendment. Advocates for Article 11 argue it permits referendums on public power organization, but this conflates reform objectives with legal text validity. The 1958 framers mandated prior assembly consent for amendments, suggesting that bypassing this requirement undermines Article 89's safeguards.