There is nothing Irish politicians enjoy more than being bossed around by wayfaring imperialists. Usually it’s whoever’s running the British or American government. They’ll furrow their brows or grin according to the choreography of the occasion and will prostrate themselves for 50p worth of “inward investment”. Mainly they’ll just do what they are told.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy wants some of the gombeen kicking action. He made his disdain for the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty clear within hours of the result being announced and told a meeting of his party that the Irish government will have to hold another referendum to see if they can get the right result. He has since denied having said it but Le Monde reports that he’s now saying that sooner or later he’s saying that Irish voters will be asked their opinion. That seems just a slightly more polite way of saying the same thing.

The reaction of the Irish political class was astonishing even for a group of people as adept at grovelling as they are. Sarkozy held court in the French embassy in Dublin and in the course of a state visit lasting SIX HOURS allowed parties and organisations three minutes in his presence to put their case. His toilet breaks were probably longer than his face time with the supplicants.

The Irish bourgeoisie and union bureaucracy had staked their credibility in delivering a vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty. Sarkozy’s plain speaking and Sun King style flying visit may, if the accompanying photo of Taoiseach  Brian Cowen is evidence, have slightly peeved them but they agree with Sarkozy that the June result has to be overturned. That’s why Cowen will be meeting Sarkozy again in September and is talking about having time to sort out a solution. That’s going to mess up a few civil servants’ holiday plans.