New French Foreign Minister

Some hope on the French front:

"Some people in Washington will certainly pop a bottle of champagne today," said Bruno Tertrais of the Foundation of Strategic Research in Paris. "But it's less to celebrate [Michel] Barnier's arrival than to celebrate the departure of Villepin," he added....

[A]nalysts say the main lines of French foreign policy are still determined by President Jacques Chirac, and a change of faces at the foreign ministry will not bring a policy shift. "Foreign policy remains Chirac's domain. And I don't expect a major change of direction," Tertrais said.