Visit Paris and the mood of apprehension among the French political classes is unmistakeable. In a little over two months, France will vote on whether to ratify the European Union's constitutional treaty. Few seem certain the answer will be Yes. Behind the nervousness lurks fear of a deeper crisis of identity. France is no longer sure of its place in the world.

This may seem a curious thought after the events of the recent past. After all, Jacques Chirac, the French president, gave sharp definition to the nation's role on the international stage when he opposed the Iraq war. Britain's Tony Blair followed the US to Baghdad. France asserted its independence in what Mr Chirac declared a multipolar world.