One of my theories of personal advancement has things thus.

Imagine a room packed full of inflated balloons. One of the balloons has the ability to self-inflate. It does so.

It expands. The other balloons squeeze themselves in to accommodate this growing companion. Some may eventually pop under the growing pressure

The self-inflation can continue for some time amidst the popping of other balloons and their contortions, until the growing balloon reaches the limits of its self-inflation or until it itself bursts.

As with balloons, so with people.

Some people have a huge self-inflating capacity. They need or demand far more ‘space’ than other people, either through sheer force of character or through restless ambition.

And, life suggests, most people meekly contort themselves to let the growing balloon have its way. A fierce line of "It’s just a fact. I have more Will than you, so why bother to resist?" is often impressively effective.

Thus we now see President Sarkozy self-inflating at a huge rate:

In his new year address, Mr Sarkozy made clear that he had no intention of taking a back seat after what he regarded as the most dynamic turn by any leader in the Union’s rotating presidency. In 2008, he boasted, he had not just shaped the destiny of France, but of the whole world.

“The initiatives which I have undertaken in the name of the French presidency of the Union – coordinating the action of all the Europeans and bringing the heads of state of the 20 biggest world powers to Washington – have enabled the world to avoid sliding down the slope of ‘everyone for themselves’, which would have been fatal,” he said.

As well as taking credit for organising the emergency summit of the G20 nations in Washington in November, Mr Sarkozy made clear that he intended to impose his views on a “new world order for capitalism” at a G20 meeting in London in March.

Fascinating to watch other EU leader balloons (including alas our own) squidging themselves in to let his volume and gloire expand voluminously in all directions.

Pop.