The plot thickens!

It appears that Jacques Chirac signed the equal opportunities bill (the one the French are rioting about) under some kind of pressure from Dominic de Villepin, his Prime Minister and preferred successor.

Now Chirac has given the mess to Nicolas Sarkozy to sort out. Sarkozy is his ex-protégé, now rival and also Villepin's rival for the presidency next year.

The papers say that Mr Villepin could bounce back, but also that Mr Sarkozy may sell them down the swannee river and come out of it all rather well.

Meanwhile all is quiet on the South-Western front, and this morning the security guard had taken to his easy chair, drinking coffee and reading the papers..

Vive la France! Vive le sud-ouest!

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