Institutions, Édouard Philippe
Article 49.3 and revision of the Constitution: Against extending the Article 11 referendum; revise via Article 89
Direction of change: change of another kind, or uncertain direction, compared with current law.
The lever. Article 49.3 (adoption of a law without a vote, unless there is a motion of censure) and other changes to the Constitution, up to a new Republic. Direction rule: ↑ greater executive powers over Parliament.
« « Si je suis comme lui (Bruno Retailleau) assez à l’aise avec l’idée d’utiliser le référendum, je suis moins sensible que lui à l’idée de changer le champ d’application de l’article 11 » […] « Si on veut changer la Constitution, il faut respecter la Constitution. Donc il faut passer par le Parlement, par l’article 89 et pas par l’article 11 » »1Translation by the editors“While, like him (Bruno Retailleau), I am fairly comfortable with the idea of using the referendum, I am less receptive than he is to the idea of changing the scope of Article 11” […] “If we want to change the Constitution, we must respect the Constitution. So we must go through Parliament, through Article 89 and not through Article 11”
Words of Édouard Philippe, Sud Ouest, propos tenus sur franceinfo, 8 September 2026. Position taken from public statements, not from a written programme.
No programme released. Positions taken from public statements, words of associates or documents of the candidate’s party, each dated and sourced; last recorded on 18 October 2026.
Encoding
No cost-schedule parameter for this position: see the costing for the reason.
Costing
Announced by the candidate
not announced
The cited source does not cost this measure.
Published costings
none
No external costing of this position recorded to date.
Our calculation
lever that cannot be costed
Lever with no coefficient in the cost schedule: the position is compared, not costed.
Current law, sources and limits of the cost schedule
Current law. Article 49 para. 3 of the Constitution: the Prime Minister may, after deliberation by the Council of Ministers, make the passing of a text an issue of the Government's responsibility. Since the 2008 revision, this is possible only for finance bills and social security financing bills, plus one other text per session. Revision of the Constitution: article 89, either by referendum or by Congress with a 3/5 majority.
Horizon. Not applicable.
Limits. Procedural lever, with no direct budgetary effect. A revision adopted by referendum costs the price of a vote: see the ric lever (€0.1bn to €0.2bn per vote).
- Constitution, texte en vigueur (Conseil constitutionnel): « Art. 49 al. 3 : « Le Premier ministre peut, après délibération du conseil des ministres, engager la responsabilité du Gouvernement » ; art. 89 al. 3 : « Toutefois, le projet de révision n'est pas présenté au référendum lorsque le Président de la République décide » »
How to read these amounts. These are static costs and revenues, with no feedback effect, over a full year: nothing on growth, employment or the revenue that economic activity would gain or lose. A higher net cost does not on its own make a worse policy, nor net savings a better one: each programme rests on an economic model (demand-led stimulus, lower compulsory levies, consolidation of the public accounts…) that the cost schedule does not settle. GDP itself measures a volume of activity, not well-being or the usefulness of what is produced. Economic models and feedback effects.
- Sud Ouest, propos tenus sur franceinfo, 8 September 2026. Words of Édouard Philippe. Position taken from public statements, not from a written programme. Read the source (Sud Ouest, propos tenus sur franceinfo).
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