Sketch: Anglo-saxon Villain Turns European Visionary

Gordon Brown doesn't usually turn up early for EU summits. In December, when 26 leaders lined up to sign the Lisbon treaty in a medieval Portuguese monastery, the prime minister was a Johnny-come-lately.

The Europeans were disgusted. His supporters were ashamed. The opposition crowed at another own goal.

But yesterday in Brussels was a different story. The master of the markets arrived eight hours before kick-off for last night's summit, in the thick of a Euro-schmooze the likes of which the continent's leaders had never seen from a British prime minister.

"Look at him, on time, more engaged, more focused. He's very serious about this. Totally transformed," said one European diplomat with a long record of summit-watching.

Breakfast with the head of the commission, José Manuel Barroso ("I want to pay tribute to Gordon Brown's role ... He has acted as an impetus"), then on to a series of "bilaterals" with Scandinavian and central European prime ministers, to line them up behind his plot to save the world.

A spot of lunch with the center-left government leaders or wannabes of Europe. A post-prandial meet-the-media session.

All this before going into the full summit, his ears ringing with of praise from the European press.

So is Britain now going to join the euro, the man from Le Monde wanted to know. No, we're going to ask to join the pound sterling, cracked the fellow from Frankfurt.

"I did find an extra seat in the room," quipped Brown of his privileged role at a single currency summit in Paris on Sunday. But no panic. "We have no plans to join [the euro] at this stage."

It's been a stunning few days for Brown, from lame duck prime minister to global savior in the space of a week. As the markets tumble, shares in Brown/Darling are going through the roof.

In Brussels, it is a very long time since a British prime minister looked so good. He might be forgiven a whiff of triumphalism, but instead is trading in self-deprecation, perhaps assisted by the impression that he is the only head of government among last night's 27 who understands what he's talking about.

Brown is in his comfort zone, transformed from Anglo-Saxon villain to European visionary. Everyone else is baffled and happy to let him exude authority with statements such as: "Market participants should develop a robust clearing facility for OTC credit derivatives and fulfill other commitments to achieve greater certainty in OTC derivatives markets." The moment on Sunday when the rest of Europe lined up behind his master plan to stop the meltdown and unblock the markets he ascribed to the leadership of Barroso and France's Nicolas Sarkozy, the EU's current president.

Brown's European moment occurred in the garden of the British ambassador's stunning residence in Paris after he had spent 20 minutes sweet talking the leaders and central bankers of Europe.

The residence, purchased by the Duke of Wellington from Napoleon's favorite sister in 1814, is a sumptuous pile. Napoleon had just abdicated and been dispatched to Elba. The Brits moved in next door to the Elysée Palace to lord it over Europe.

Last night, for the first time in his premiership, Gordon Brown in Brussels bore a faint resemblance to Wellington in Paris.