Plus ça change. Plus ne le même chose pas

A friend reports that they have just come from the head office of Chirac's UMP party. The building used to be the HQ for its predecessor the RPR.

Very little has changed a couple of logos here and there but little else. Apart from one rather telling detail.

In much the same way that Tory clubs have a picture of Churchill holding pride of place, here the picture is of Charles de Gaulle. Or at least it was until very recently when he was replaced by Jean Monnet.