For all his lobbying, François Roussely has failed to secure a new mandate at Electricité de France. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, prime minister, is this week expected to appoint a successor to run the world's largest electricity utility - probably Pierre Gadonneix of Gaz de France.

This may finally bring down the curtain on the unseemly power struggle over EdF, but will leave a nasty stench undermining the credibility of the government's approach to state enterprise.