Combative new star of the French right
Anyone in France with the most cursory interest in politics has been obliged to form an opinion on Florian Philippot.
At just 34, he has become the most visible face (after Marine Le Pen's) of the most visible party in the game.
Through last year's string of election triumphs (municipal, European, departmental) he was the Front National's permanent man-before-the-camera, and today at the smallest item of political news he is happy to react.
He has become an indispensible right-hand man to the party's leader (they text each other constantly throughout the interview).
And it is no exaggeration to say that he is utterly detested by her father, who blames him for his downfall.
Philippot is FN vice-president and an MEP. Some tip him to be prime minister, were Marine ever to make it to the top.
He is affable and neat, and intelligent and polite enough not to make his answers sound like he is articulating them for the nth time (though of course he is).
My first political memory is the Maastricht referendum of 1992," he says.
"I was only 11, but I made everyone in the family laugh when I said I was against the single currency because I didn't want (the French symbol) Marianne's head taken off the coins!"
(continued, looks like Osbornes got a twin, evil like himself, and so pale too - another vampyre king in the making....?)
