Chirac’s climb-down over labor reforms in France is bad news for that unfortunate country, but it comes with at least two positive consequences: De Villepin’s presidential hopes are over, and, well, this… “Yet another project of French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has gone up in smoke.The French government has postponed legislation banning smoking in public places less than a week after a climbdown over labour reforms. De Villepin is avoiding a clash on the issue of smoking. His method is, as usual, the same. De Villepin who has seen his popularity hit a record low after his last reform defeat has asked health minister Xavier Bertrand to carry out more ‘evaluations’.”

Eursoc has more – and a most unsettling illustration…