Why don't French party leaders get together? Several generations of Frenchmen and foreigners had pettishly asked this rhetorical question. Last week, leaders of France's three major parties—who hate each other—were united in a campaign for the new constitution. But millions of Frenchmen did not like a unity they considered artificial and unprincipled.
On the surface, the coalition of Popular Republicans (MRP), Communists and Socialists could put over the new constitution in next Sunday's referendum by a thumping majority. Between them, these parties had polled 14,976,000 votes in the last election, as against 4,835,000 for the parties now opposing the constitution.
Nevertheless,...
