Mr Chirac's condition would also rule out a president from Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and all ten new member states. (That would put paid to the putative candidacies of Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister, and his countryman Pat Cox, the outgoing president of the European Parliament.) The row over the presidency threatens to distract from finalising the constitutional text itself.

ECONOMIST: The summit of all fears | The

Cox President Pat Esser was joined by Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers to demonstrate the application currently being developed by Cox that personalizes the video experience for its customers, based on customer preferences and viewing habits.

ENGADGET: Cox doubles down on live streaming with new TV app HD

"We recognize that consumers are attracted to a growing range of devices that enable them to access broadband content and interactive capabilities, " said Pat Esser, President of Cox Communications.

ENGADGET: Cox to offer retail TiVo Premiere DVRs next year, first with cable VOD & Amazon, Netflix access