Reaction To The People’s Victory

What would a wise politician do in the event that the electorate sent him a message he would rather not have had?

Jacques Chirac, France's president, on Tuesday sought to give new impetus to his embattled government after its humiliating defeat in Sunday's European referendum, by naming loyal ally Dominique de Villepin as prime minister.

Mr Chirac surely lives close enough to Spain to know by now that waving a red flag at a bull is not a good way of calming it down.

Mr de Villepin, 51, a former diplomat and poet, is one of France's most energetic and best-known politicians, even though he has never held elected office.

So Chirac’s answer to the democratic raspberry from the people is to appoint a man as Prime Minister who has never been elected by the people. Logical?