1958, THOSE WHO SAID "NO"

September 28, 1958. As General de Gaulle holds a referendum for a new Constitution in France, political opponents are crushed. The “yes” vote wins by a landslide, with 80% of the ballots. While those from the “no” camp protest the conditions of president de Gaulle’s return – escorted by the generals from Algiers – and warn of institutions drifting toward personal rule, their voices go unheard. Or perhaps they are simply too ahead of their time. Still, the most prominent among them – François Mitterrand and Pierre Mendès-France – mark the moment. In time, General de Gaulle’s way of wielding power will speak for itself.

The Fifth Republic is now over 60 years old. The “Jupiterization” of the executive branch has long been accomplished, and calls for a Sixth Republic – which would restore power to Parliament – regularly return to the forefront, constantly reviving the arguments put forward by the “no” camp back in 1958.  

This documentary looks back at an historic moment when, faced with the instability of the Fourth Republic’s institutions, the French people chose to surrender themselves to the allure of a republican monarchy.