NEW FRENCH CABINET CRISIS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01443R000400150004-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 24, 1998
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: October 27, 1955
• Content Type: BRIEF

Approv F@ItFt'JNSe 2000/ MONCONO&8 40150004-9
NEW FRENCH CABINET CRISIS
I. Premier Faure has posed vote of confidence
on approval of his government's "general
policies":
A. North African question is major issue.
B. Vote expected early Friday 28 October.
II. Faure's position precarious despite recent
victories on Moroccan and Algerian
questions:
A. Socialists seem determined to vote
against him.
B. Foreign Minister Piney pessimistic,
particularly after El G7d?ui's surprise
switch to support of Moroccan ex-sultan
Ben Youssef.
C. Extreme right probably Mere ant4g&nis-
tic to government,because Ben Youssef's
return to Moroccan throne now more
likely.
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D. Growing concentration on domestic
issues increases possibility of over-
throw:
1. Opponents would prefer to bring
Faure down on side-issue rather
than directly on "early elections"
issue.
III. One "tricks possibility is that government
coalition elements which savor early
elections may be willing to vote against
Faure in order to assure his over throw
by a constitutional majority (312). Such
a defeat would give Faure and his cabinet
the chance to dissolve Assembly (which
automatically means new elections).
A. Popular Republicans and Pinay's
Independents want elections soon.
B. Faure's Radical Socialists rival--
Mendes-France--has just managed to put
party on record as opposing dissolution
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1. Faure might decide to out-maneuver
Mendes-France by forcing dissolu-
tion now.
IV. If Faure is determined to fight, he may
try to have Socialists abstain.
A. Would have better chance for relative
majority.
'V. Major factors favoring stability are still
in force. These include:
A. Geneva conference.
B. Reluctance of individual deputies to
attempt to form new government.
C. Difficulty foreseen in getting assembly
approval of new government.
D. General reluctance of deputies to take
step which might end their tenure
prematurely.
E. Likelihood that composition of new
assembly--elected under present rules--
would be much the same.
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