And Then There Were Twelve

General Charles de Gaulle has often wagged his finger at his country's greatest weakness: too many gabby political parties, all too small. Last week De Gaulle's own party, the powerful Rally of the French People (R.P.F.), added one more splinter group to the eleven squabbling parties in the French National Assembly. Thirty Gaullist Deputies and five Senators who bolted R.P.F. in protest against its "negative and sterile attitude" towards Premier Antoine Pinay (TIME, July 14) formed something called the Independent Group for Republican and Social Action. Edmond Barrachin, the fast-talking Parisian columnist who led the revolt, was elected president. De Gaulle thereupon serenely announced that the defectors had not quit; they had been fired for refusing to obey orders.

The defection of the Barrachinistes cost R.P.F. its cock-of-the-walk No. 1 position in the National Assembly. Reduced from 115 seats to 85, the Gaullists now rank as No. 3 after Socialists (104 seats) and Communists (96). For Premier Pinay, the splintering was one more lucky break. Barrachin's group noisily insists that they are still Gaullists at heart, and that they would resist the Schuman Plan and the European Army as bitterly as De Gaulle himself. But on economic issues, about which Pinay cares most, the Barrachinistes would do their best to save the franc. They proved it last week by standing by Pinay in a confidence vote on the echelle mobile, a cost-of-living bill which ties wage hikes to price increases. It was the last vote of the Assembly's summer session and Pinay won it handily (267 to 216).

"Lucky" Pinay sighed with audible relief. His government is now safe until Oct. 7, when all twelve noisy parties in the National Assembly will be back with a fresh batch of troubles.

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