The Conseil Économique et Social (Economic and Social Council) is France's third most important constitutional assembly. Articles 69-71 of the 1958 Constitution establish the official statute of the Conseil Économique et Social. The order issued on 29 December 1958 (amended in 1962 and 1984) defines its organization and mode of operation. The Conseil Économique et Social issues recommendations to the French authorities and also takes part in the legislative process on bills to be submitted for approval in the French Parliament. An unusual type of institution | From Sieyès to the present day | A sense of continuity An unusual type of institution It is a known fact that, in a democracy, political power stems from universel suffrage. However, owing to the increasing influence of socioeconomic groups and the important role which the State is called upon to play in a modern economy, it is essential that representatives of the country's "driving forces" - company directors, employees, farmers and professionals - be consulted on matters within their competence and that their views on such matters be duly expressed and taken into account. In view of these considerations, the Constitution has empowered the Conseil Économique et Social so that it may be : a constitutional assembly which is completely independent of both the Executive and Parliament; a representative assembly consisting mainly of members designated by nationwide social and economic groups; an advisory assembly, which issues opinions and recommendations to the French government on matters of economic and social relevance. An unusual type of institution | From Sieyès to the present day | A sense of continuity From Sieyès to the present day For many years, the notion of economic and social representation ran counter to the principles resulting from the French Revolution and from article 3 of the Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen (France's Bill of Rights), which denied individuals and corporations the right to exercise any form of authority that did not derive from national sovereignty. In accordance with that notion, the Le Chapelier law was passed in 1791, banning all employees' associations. Around one century later, a new doctrine emerged, whose advocates felt that, while it was necessary to take into account the interests of individuals, one should also acknowledge the solidarity generated by economic interests and labour. In his famous address before the French Convention on 2 Thermidor of the year III, Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès called for the creation of an Assembly comprising representatives of the country's industrial and cultural spheres, coming from both rural and urban areas. These views were taken up by several nineteenth-century thinkers. Henri de Saint-Simon favoured a Conseil Suprême des Industriels (Supreme Council of Industrialists) because he believed society should be centered around industrial production. Pierre-Joseph Proud'hon too maintained that labour was a major driving force of the economy and he developed a philosophy based on social justice and the organization of workers. Once the principle of trade union membership was officially recognised, the involvement of socioeconomic organizations in the drafting of economic and social policies was upheld by a number of politicians and proposed by Léon Jouhaux at the C.G.T. convention at Lyon in 1919. Since those early days, four periods have marked the history of the Conseil Économique et Social: First period A decree passed on 16 January 1925 established the Conseil National Économique (National Economic Council), consisting of 47 members divided into three groups. The Council was chaired by the head of government. Second period The existence and role of the Conseil National Économique were confirmed by a law issued on 19 March 1936; membership was extended to 260 and the Conseil was granted additional powers, such as the right to arbitrate economic disputes and to intervene in the drawing up of industrial agreements. Third period The Conseil Économique (Economic Council) was formalized by Chapter III, article 25 of the 1946 Constitution. Fourth period The 1958 Constitution founded the Conseil Économique et Social, which was similar to the institution formalized in 1946. Since then, this national assembly representing economic and social interests has become a fully fledged institution working in close collaboration with the French government and has gained widespread recognition over the years. The institutional act of 27 June 1984 and its implementing decrees brought about changes in the composition and organization of the Conseil without however affecting its fundamental nature and role. An unusual type of institution | From Sieyès to the present day | A sense of continuity A sense of continuity Since 1947, the Conseil has been chaired by Léon Jouhaux, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1947-1954), Émile Roche (1954-1974), Gabriel Ventéjol (1974-1987) and Jean Mattéoli (1987-1999). These successive chairmen, who have shown a remarkably high level of competence and whose decisions are invariably stamped with humanity and good sense, have played an increasingly decisive role in the country's economic and social policy. The present Chairman of the Conseil Économique et Social is Jacques Dermagne. Return to the top