Summit of arrogance

The folly of jetting off to an international summit in a pleasant tropical resort during a time of emergency at home was amply demonstrated by Jim Callaghan in 1979 when he arrived, suntanned, back from the Caribbean apparently unaware of the seriousness of growing industrial unrest at home. But at least he never actually uttered the words ‘Crisis, what crisis?’

This week, on the other hand, the EU Commission president, José Manuel Barroso, really did make a statement that deserves to enter the history books, as a symptom of the detachment of EU leaders from the economic crisis engulfing the eurozone. Looking every bit as relaxed as Sunny Jim, Barroso told reporters at the Mexican resort of Los Cabos, ‘This crisis did not originate in Europe… this crisis originated in America.’

That would be a preposterous charge coming from anyone, but from a man who should be helping to stabilise a dire economic emergency, it is frightening.