French rivals put drag on EU reform

A battle between two of the vainest men in France guarantees that the country will be all but ungovernable for the next year, and stall EU plans for economic reform, writes European editor Nicholas Watt.

Up to a million students, who took to the streets yesterday, are on a roll thanks in part to Dominique de Villepin, the prime minister, and Nicolas Sarkozy, the interior minister, whose personal rivalry is helping to paralyse the government.

Both men have set their hearts on securing the Elysee Palace which is up for grabs in next year's French presidential election. Jacques Chirac, the incumbent, is unlikely to stand again because only around 1-2% of the French people want the septuagenarian to run for a third term.

The rivalry between Mr Villepin, an aristocratic admirer of Napoleon who writes poetry in his spare time, and Mr Sarkozy, a pugilistic figure who works his way through women with typical Gallic energy, set the scene for yesterday's demonstrations.