Read Charles Bremner's Paris blog

Nicolas Sarkozy went into last night’s Brussels summit determined to save the Lisbon treaty during a dynamic French EU presidency that will prove to the European people that the Union is their friend.

The Irish “no” last week put a dampener on the French President’s ambition to leave his mark on the Union with a flamboyant presidency to be symbolised by the illumination of the Eiffel Tower in European blue and gold from July 1.

The festivities, including “Europe balls” on Bastille day, will roll on during France’s six-month turn in the EU chair. Spending ¤190 million (£150 million), Paris aims to dazzle with stylish ceremonies and the classiest souvenirs — scarves, ties, mugs and other paraphernalia by Phillippe Starck the star designer — ever to have been given away at EU summits.

Beyond the style, the “Sarko show” is to pursue its planned initiatives on immigration, climate change, defence and energy. The first spectacular will be a Paris summit on July 13 for about 50 leaders from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East to launch Mr Sarkozy’s pet project for a “Mediterranean Union”.

But the President will be deprived this year of his role as kingmaker for the new posts of semi-permanent EU president and foreign minister. Rather than raising the curtain on this post-Lisbon era, Mr Sarkozy has now given himself a new mission: winning back favour for the Union.

“Let’s get concrete action on the improvement of the daily life of Europeans. We will seek the best path for restoring unity in the European family,” Mr Sarkozy said. His first aim is to convince reluctant leaders to cap the VAT on fuel to help farmers, fishermen and road hauliers.

Initially, Mr Sarkozy was furious with the Irish. “They are bloody fools,” he told aides, according to le Canard Enchaîné weekly. “They have been stuffing their faces at Europe’s expense for years and now they dump us in the s***.” He then ordered his Government to play down the “no”, proceed with their plans and find ways to save the treaty. “We have to manage the Irish ‘no’ with calm, with sang-froid and neither dramatise nor minimise it,” he said.

The French “hyper-president” is determined to make the Irish vote again, if possible even before European Parliament elections next June.

Mr Sarkozy, who was one of the brokers of the “mini-treaty” last June, has ruled out any rewriting of the text, which he hopes will be ratified by all 26 other states. He is asking Brian Cowen, the Irish Prime Minister, what guarantees would need to be induced to approve the treaty next time.

Mr Sarkozy says privately that he believes that French voters, had they been asked, would have rejected the Lisbon treaty even more resoundingly than they did the constitution. He is said to blame José Manuel Barroso and the “arrogance” of his European Commission for the disaffection of Europe’s voters.

Referendum impact

French plans hit by Irish “no”:

— Brokering agreement on appointments to the new posts of EU president and foreign minister

— “Pact for immigration”, aligning rules on asylum and creating of a pan-EU “blue card” permit for foreign workers. Agreement unlikely

New French priorities:

— Persuading the Irish to stage another referendum

— Measures to “protect” Europeans, including tariffs on cheap imports from countries that do not apply EU health and environment standards

French goals unaffected:

— Opening work on a Mediterranean Union

— Common strategy on energy suppies from Russia

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