Yes, that's my recurring theme: the American system has lots of faults, but if you're going to have a presidential system it is VITAL that parliementary elections follow a different timescale from presidential one.

What we have now in France is elective monarchy, however loud UMP screams when it is pointed out. We even get journalists explaining that is is absolutely compulsory to have parliement backing the president, that "we must never again go through cohabitation".

Well, it may be unpleasant for the people in charge, but I for one reckon that cohabitation periods are actually generally better for the country. And even if they weren't, well what is the point of parliementary elections if the only acceptable outcome was determined by the previous election?

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. Gandhi