France tones down rhetoric for Sarkozy visit

FRENCH officials tried to tone down the rhetoric ahead of the visit to Ireland of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mr Sarkozy would not tell the Irish to vote again or try to teach them lessons during his visit to Dublin on Monday, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in Paris.

Mr Sarkozy, who is the current EU president, told the journal International Politics he wanted to calmly consider what those in favour and against the Lisbon treaty have to say during his four-hour trip.