French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has been sidelined. President Jacques Chirac has been forced into a subtle switch of loyalties to save face. And the two leaders’ mutual rival, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, is now at centre-stage.

Talks begin today towards sealing a controversial merger deal between state-owned gas producer Gaz de France and utility company Suez that would create a world energy leader and block a hostile bid from Italy.