Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the French National Assembly, said France would be better governed if leadership were shared between men and women.
Braun-Pivet's comments challenge the traditional structure of the French executive branch. By questioning the efficacy of a single powerful leader, she is advocating for a systemic shift toward gender parity in high-level decision-making processes.
Speaking in an interview with France Inter, Braun-Pivet highlighted the current imbalance of power within the state. She said that those who make decisions in the country are almost 100% [1] men. This lack of diversity, she said, negatively impacts how public decisions are made and implemented.
Beyond gender parity, Braun-Pivet expressed skepticism regarding the role of the presidency. She said she does not believe in a "supreme savior" and does not think that the election of a president of the Republic will resolve all the problems facing the country [2].
Her critique suggests that the concentration of power in one individual is an outdated model. She said that the country would be better led if it were directed through mixity [1]. This approach would theoretically integrate a broader range of perspectives into the national strategy, reducing the reliance on a single figurehead to solve complex societal issues.
These statements come as a critique of the existing political culture in France, where the presidency historically holds immense authority. By emphasizing the need for a mixed leadership model, Braun-Pivet is pushing for a redistribution of power that moves away from the traditional "savior" narrative often associated with presidential campaigns [2].
“"The country would be better led if it were led in mixity."”
Braun-Pivet is challenging the 'Jupiterian' model of the French presidency, which concentrates significant power in a single executive. By linking governance quality to gender parity and rejecting the idea of a presidential savior, she is advocating for a more collaborative and representative form of leadership that could signal a shift in how future political campaigns and governance structures are approached in France.
