Within a week of Britain’s historic referendum decision to leave the European Union, France’s most powerful female politician was on hand to put her neighbour right about democracy.

Ségolène Royal, the Socialist Energy and Environment Minister, insisted that the UK electorate had been “held hostage” because “political leaders were not able to obtain a positive vote from the public”.

Directly criticising an elected Prime Minister, she said France “won’t make David Cameron’s mistake, I can assure you. We are not going to have a referendum for France’s exit from the European Union, I can assure you”.

Ms Royal’s performance on the BBC’s Hard Talk programme was widely welcomed by Brexit skeptics. Mark Hendrick, Labour MP for Preston and the former MEP for Central Lancashire, tweeted that she had performed “brilliantly” and was now posed “for a second presidential bid!”