The Blair government's latest pro-European offensive was eclipsed yesterday by French attacks on Mr John Prescott's "macho man" approach to the failed World Climate Change conference in the Hague.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, and President Chirac of France face the prospect of a difficult meeting at Downing Street on Thursday, as Chancellor Gordon Brown claimed victory for the British "veto" over EU tax while the Agriculture Minister, Mr Nick Brown, continued active consideration of a ban on French beef.
Against that noisy backdrop the British minister for Europe, Mr Keith Vaz, attempted to sustain last week's pro-European attack on "media distortion" with a fresh assault on "whingers on the fringes" of Britain's European debate.
But he was drowned out by French Environment Minister Ms Doiminique Voynet's description of Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Prescott, as "an inveterate macho man" and the deal he attempted to broker at The Hague summit on global warming as "mediocre and shabby."
Mr Prescott - already embattled by the Lords' challenge on air traffic control, the continuing crisis on Britain's railways, and weekend speculation that Mr Peter Mandelson might like his job after the general election - had Downing Street's backing last night.
The deputy prime minister tried to make light of the diplomatic furore, retorting: "Macho? Moi? I must say the remark leaves me most gutted." But the shadow environment secretary, Mr Archie Norman, claimed Mr Prescott was more interested in media coverage than the "hard grind" of negotiations.
The shadow chancellor, Mr Michael Portillo, dismissed Mr Brown's successful battle against an EU-wide "withholding tax" - designed to curb cross-border tax evasion. He described it as "a distraction" from the concessions he claimed the Blair government would make "on a whole raft" of policies on which the veto would be lost at the Nice summit in 10 days' time.
Meanwhile, adding to the general mood of bad temper and confusion, the former Tory chancellor and leading Europhile, Mr Kenneth Clark, said Mr Brown's five economic tests for British membership of the Euro were "meaningless."