In just under two weeks, France’s president Nicolas Sarkozy has indulged in a blizzard of activity, in contrast to the lofty lethargy of Jacques Chirac’s last months. It goes down well with the electorate. Mr Sarkozy’s popularity is second only to that of President Charles de Gaulle in 1958. It suggests the centre-right will benefit in next month’s parliamentary elections.

On the European front, Mr Sar­kozy has declared his top priority is to solve the existing impasse over the European Union constitutional treaty. He wants a new “simplified” treaty to replace it, and he has set out his thinking on trips to both Berlin and Brussels, as well as in an early meeting with Tony Blair, the UK prime minister. Like Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, the French president hopes for a clear outline to be agreed at the June EU summit, and a new treaty to be finalised by the end of the year.