Long before the riots broke out two weeks ago in the desolate northern suburbs of Paris and rapidly spread to the poor immigrant ghettoes that cling to the fringes of most provincial cities, it was obvious that France was in a state of political anxiety and confusion. In spite of a thoroughly comfortable way of life for the great majority of the population, French voters seem to feel more threatened and defensive than any other electorate in Europe. They fear the external threat of globalisation and the internal threat of a failure to integrate or assimilate the largest immigrant community inside the European Union ? some 10 per cent of France?s 60m people.

Those fears saw the largest far-right vote in Europe go to Jean-Marie Le Pen?s National Front at the 2002 presidential election. They were also underlying factors behind the No vote in the EU constitutional treaty referendum in May. Rapid EU enlargement was seen as a Trojan horse for globalisation invading the European citadel, bringing cheap labour from eastern Europe and enticing investment away from France. Fear of immigration was crystallised in hostility to the prospect of Muslim Turkey?s joining the queue for EU membership.