When France takes over the 12-month stewardship of the G2O after the Seoul summit, the country's diplomacy will get a boost. President Nicolas Sarkozy hopes a higher profile abroad will lift his popularity at home. Paradoxically, though, this comes at a time when morale among diplomats has sunk-and when Bernard Kouchner, the current foreign minister, looks as if he is on the way out. The 16,000-strong diplomatic service, named after its offices on the Quai d'Orsay, feels battered. Its squeeze long predates the latest austerity. Over 25 years the foreign service has lost 15% of its staff. In 2011 its operating budget will be trimmed by another 5% and 700 more jobs will go. This comes on top of an internal reorganisation under Mr Kouchner.
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