For a country that has spent years wallowing in a sense of its own decline, France celebrates Bastille Day on Saturday with a renewed swagger. Two faces this week reflected the new mood: President Nicolas Sarkozy (of course) and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the super-smooth Socialist and European nominee to head the International Monetary Fund.

Mr Strauss-Kahn is France’s own Comeback Kid. Brought down by false allegations of financial sleaze, completely outmanouevred by Ségolène Royal during this year’s French presidential election campaign, this time last week the charismatic 58-year-old appeared washed-up.