The helmsman of the presidential center in France. A study on the figure of the secretary-general of the Élysée (1958-2023)

Abstract

Since the institutionalization of the Republic as the form of government in France, the role of the secretary general of the Presidency has become a key figure in understanding the role played by the head of state. Since 1958, the Fifth Republic has implemented a model based on a semi-presidential system, where the president plays a dual role as both head of state and member of a dual executive with shared responsibilities alongside the prime minister. In this political-administrative configuration, the role of the secretary general has expanded as the president’s alter ego, responsible for the presidential center of government and coordinating governmental activities.