One more post about France

Notwithstanding growing unease amongst some of our readers about the extent of our France-related postings, we'd like to end the week with one more look in. The impeccably tanned PM Dominique de Villepin announced his new cabinet on Thursday. Why is that a country the size of the France can be run with 32 ministers, including junior ministers, exactly the size of the ministerial team in the much smaller Irish Republic? Remember also that the Irish ministers come from the very small pool of elected representatives, whereas a French Cabinet minister can be chosen from anywhere -- which is just as well for de Villepin since he has never run for elected office.

We note the arrival of a new Chirac protégé, François Baroin, the minister for the overseas territories; there's always a point in the news reports where the person gets described as Jacques' "son that he never had." What the poor sap may not realise is that being tagged like this is the political equivalent of that dude you've never seen before in a Star Trek episode who's told to "go look behind that rock." And you never see him again.

The list of holders of this position so far includes Alain Juppé -- found guilty of illegal party financing and now out of politics, Hervé Gaymard -- he of the 14,000 euro a month pad on the state's tab, and de Villepin himself, landed with the PM's job at a very difficult juncture. Perhaps Nicolas Sarkozy realised 10 years ago that the key to political success was not being taken under Chirac's wing, therefore the logic to pissing him off as quickly as possible.

Indeed, let us conclude by wondering whether Jacques Chirac is in fact a Sith Lord. Because Palpatine was equally happy to cycle through aspiring Darths until he got to a young one that could last him a long time, Anakin. So Chirac pursues his most insidious plot of all, amidst all the disposable ministers in Paris, by his unusual interest in Leo Blair. That's right, Tony and Cherie's young son.