Summits, like familiarity, can easily breed contempt. Promises readily made are quickly forgotten. Projects announced with a flourish prove rhetorical not real. We hope this week’s Franco-British summit will be different, putting work in hand that will be good for Britain and France; and good, too, for Europe and the transatlantic relationship.

Franco-British relations often fall victim to tabloid treatment. Watch out for the focus on the French president’s glamorous new wife. Spats are usually played up, differences exaggerated and emotions aroused. Long memories on both sides – and a French perception that Britain has something of a complex about France – ensure that the past frequently casts a cold shadow over the future. Occasionally the lows give way to entente cordiale and there is a burst of enthusiasm for working together. Usually, quite quickly, the optimism fades and old reflexes and stereotypes reassert themselves.