"In politics it is necessary either to betray one's country or the electorate. I prefer to betray the electorate"

Charles de Gaulle's quote recommends that in national politics, one must make a difficult decision in between betraying their country or the electorate. This implies that in order to make the most effective choice for the nation, one must sometimes make a decision that is not prominent with the body politic. De Gaulle himself specifies that he chooses to betray the electorate, recommending that he thinks it is more crucial to make decisions that are beneficial for the nation, also if it means going against the desires of the people. This quote mirrors de Gaulle's idea that the leader of a nation need to make decisions based on what is best for the country, not what is preferred with the people. It also recommends that de Gaulle was willing to make undesirable decisions in order to guarantee the most effective outcome for his country.