TOUGH TIMES AHEAD FOR CHIRAC:

“Poor Mr Chirac,” said an editorial in the Le Parisien newspaper last week.

“I bet he could scarcely bring himself to watch those TV images of the victorious Americans being welcomed in Baghdad.”

“The King of Peace without a crown,” sneered the left-wing paper Liberation, “Chirac is now threatened with diplomatic isolation.”

Reportedly, Chirac is counting on Tony Blair to help him stave off irrelevance.

UPDATE: More gloomy news for France.