Political scientist Hélène Landemore believes France's Fifth Republic is nearing its end, with a growing gap between elites and society. In a Le Monde op-ed, she proposes shifting to open democracy to better involve citizens. The current regime, described as monarchical and ineffective, fuels revolutionary and authoritarian temptations.
France is experiencing a political regime crisis, according to political scientist Hélène Landemore. In her op-ed published on October 18, 2025, in Le Monde, she states: « France seems to be reaching the end of its political regime, at the very moment when expectations for democracy are higher than ever. »
She criticizes the Fifth Republic as « monarchical, arrogant, and ineffective, » unable to meet popular demands for participation, listening, and good governance. This failure « already fuels revolutionary and authoritarian temptations, » creating a shared feeling of sitting « on a powder keg » due to the gap between the regime's form and society's nature.
Landemore notes that this mismatch is not new. The representative government, inherited from the 18th-century revolutions, was elitist by design and operation, in France and elsewhere. For two centuries, people tolerated it because it was liberal, protecting individuals from arbitrary power and grounded in periodic elections that ensured greater accountability than previous regimes.
To bridge this gap, she advocates transitioning to « open » democracy, promoting greater citizen participation beyond traditional representative democracy.