President Nicolas Sarkozy has made the nuclear sector one of the showcases of French industrial excellence. But this excellence seems to be slipping in recent months.

The new-generation European pressurised reactor, which was supposed to spearhead French exports of the country's nuclear savoir-faire around the world, appears to be presenting one problem after another for Areva, its designer. In some respects, it is beginning to match the troubled development of the Airbus A380 super jumbo which has cost EADS, its parent, billions of euros in cost overruns and delays let alone damaging its reputation - not to mention spectacular rifts with core German partners. Indeed, Siemens has now decided to opt out of its engineering partnership with Areva.