Variations in the use of presidential powers in semi-presidential systems- a comparative analysis of France and Portugal

Duverger's definition of a semi-presidential system as a political system where the president is elected by universal suffrage for a fixed term, has significant powers, and is sharing the executive with a prime minister who derive their legitimacy from majority support in Parliament. The concept of "significant powers" is wanting as it leaves the concept largely under-defined and therefore unmeasurable. One particularly vexing issue is that while some presidents in semi-presidential systems have expanded their powers beyond the bounds of constitutional texts, while others have not made use of those powers, and therefore reduced their potential political influence. This contribution aims at better understanding why these expansions and contractions of powers took place. It uses a historical institutionalist approach to examine cases of expansion (France), as well as contraction (Portugal), and argues that the genesis of the presidency in these different political systems has led to the establishment of a widely accepted and reinforcing understanding of what constraints should be placed on the president's powers.