Jean-Fran ois Sirinelli is professor emeritus of contemporary history at Sciences Po (Paris). A specialist in the Fifth Republic and in social and cultural changes in contemporary France, he is the author of many timely works, most recently Les R volutions fran aises English ed?] (Odile Jacob).The Fifth Republic is 60 years-old. For most people, it seems to have entered into a new phase of its history: from being an efficient government, able to...