France throws spanner in car works
1630: Like some perversion too grotesque to mention nobody actually admits to being a protectionist. They just happen, accidentally almost, to do things that others see as protectionist. Honi soit qui mal y pense. But have the French been caught with their pants down?
The French industry minister, who also happens to be the president's spokesman, has been speaking on French radio. He spoke in glowing terms about the 6bn-euro (£5.6bn) loan to French carmakers and said as a result of the plan:
"Today Renault is going to announce the repatriation of the production of a vehicle that has until now been built abroad, to its factory in Flins," in the Paris suburbs.
Renault sounded pretty cross at this interpretation of their plan to build more cars near Paris.
President Sarkozy, speaking at a news conference after the summit, said that this "does not take away one job from our Slovene friends".
I suppose the big and in the end unanswerable question is whether, without the loan, without a crisis, Renault would have built the new cars and perhaps a new factory in Slovenia.
If you want to hear the commissioner's angry response listen to The World at One.
I’m Mark Mardell, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's North America editor. These are my reflections on American politics, some thoughts on being a Brit living in the USA, and who knows what else? My 
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