L'election generale du 9 avril 1992 en ecosse : les enjeux constitutionnels
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Abstract EN:
The april 9th 1992 general election took place in the whole united kingdom, but had peculiarities in scotland, mainly due to the question of scotland's government, as opposition parties wanted to set up a scottish parliament within or outside the united kingdom, endowed with its own financing, and elected by some sort of proportional representation, whereas the governing party defended the administrative devolution and first-past-the-post electoral system which were currently in force. The constitutional issues are examined at (scottish) national and local levels, in their three dimensions in 1992. The first part deals with the contents of each party's proposals, linked to its history and its opponents' positions, and also to the wider context. The second part is concerned with the way the constitutional issues were promoted throughout the election campaing, as means to reach different goals, not only by the parties but also by the media which became actors. The third part sheds light on the various influences of the constitutional issues on the results of the election, using people's opinions on those issues, as well as their other attitudes (especially in relation to their national identity) and their social, economic and geographical positions which have an indirect impact. The conclusion is that the constitutional issues were really prominent during the 1992 general election in scotland, the will for reform enabling the labour party to keep its majority with the most popular programme and the ability to implement it, whereas the liberal-democrats shared the former but lacked of the latter, and the s. N. P. Offered a scheme considered too bold and difficult to enforce, therefore they both remained in a minority position, along with the conservative party which was nevertheless helped by the perceived threat on the status quo.
Abstract FR:
L'election generale du 9 avril 1992 a eu lieu dans l'ensemble du royaume-uni, mais presentait des particularites en ecosse, principalement dues a la question du statut de l'ecosse, avec des partis d'opposition qui souhaitaient instaurer un parlement ecossais a l'interieur ou a l'exterieur du royaume-uni dote d'un financement autonome et elu a une representation proportionnelle, tandis que le parti au pouvoir defendait la deconcentration et le mode de scrutin majoritaire en vigueur. Les enjeux constitutionnels sont etudies aux plans national (ecossais) et locaux, dans leurs trois dimensions en 1992. La premiere partie traite du contenu des propositions de chaque parti, liees a son histoire et aux positions de ses opposants, ainsi qu'au contexte general. La deuxieme partie est consacree au mode de promotion des enjeux constitutionnels pendant la campagne electorale, en tant que moyens pour atteindre divers objectifs, non seulement par les partis mais aussi par les medias devenus acteurs. La troisieme partie met en evidence les differentes influences des enjeux constitutionnels sur les resultats de l'election, en utilisant les opinions des personnes a l'egard de ces enjeux, ainsi que leurs autres attitudes (notamment en liaison avec leur identite nationale), et leurs situations sociales, economiques et geographiques qui ont un impact indirect. La conclusion est que les enjeux consitutionnels ont effectivement domine l'election generale de 1992 en ecosse, la volonte de reforme permettant au parti travailliste de conserver sa majorite avec le programme le plus populaire, et la capacite de le mettre en oeuvre, tandis que les liberaux-democrates partageaient le premier mais etaient depourvus de la seconde, les nationalistes ayant un projet juge trop avance et peu applicable, c'est pourquoi ils sont tous deux demeures minoritaires, de meme que le parti conservateur qui beneficiait toutefois de la perception de menaces pesant sur le statu quo.