In 1789, in France, the Third Estate proclaimed itself a National Assembly and refused to let the king keep his veto.

CNN: Wednesday,

Lawmakers in France's lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, on Saturday passed with a wide majority the most important article of a law to legalize same-sex marriage.

CNN: UK lawmakers to vote on same-sex marriage bill

His mainstream right held all the trump cards: the presidency, the government, four-fifths of the seats in the National Assembly, two-thirds of the Senate, 19 of mainland France's 22 regions, most of the big towns.

ECONOMIST: Jacques Chirac, out of steam