We should tell Sarkozy where to go

FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that he would be prepared to travel to Ireland to help gather support for a referendum on the European union’s Lisbon treaty.

Apparently he will do everything he can “to help the Irish to make the choice for Lisbon”. Since the Irish electorate have overwhelmingly rejected this treaty perhaps Mr Sarkozy would be better employed spending his time taking English lessons since he clearly does not yet understand the meaning of a simple word like “no”.

Thirty years ago, Mike Murphy of RTÉ in his DVD of that title, famously disguises himself as a French tourist in Dublin who continually interferes with a TV presentation by his colleague Gay Byrne. An exasperated Mr Byrne eventually tells the uncouth “French visitor” where to get off. Perhaps Mr Sarkozy could be similarly but firmly told likewise.