That this calamitous state of affairs has nothing to do with the euro, and the policies it has prescribed, seems, to put it at its most generous, deeply unlikely.

Of course, the point that Barroso is making is that were it not for the irresponsibility of national governments, none of these measures would be necessary. This is complete balderdash too, for both Spain and Ireland were in fiscal surplus before the crisis hit.

To stand there and deny that the one size fits all monetary policy of the single currency might have been just the tiniest bit responsible for the unsustainable credit and construction booms these countries experienced is to occupy a fantasy world of quite breathtaking proportions.

Barroso and others like him just cannot bear the thought that everything they have worked for, and based their entire careers on pursuing, has been proved hopelessly flawed, so they seek to blame others, rather than accept the truth. Belief in the euro has become worse than a religion, for it is actually a deceit, a propaganda visited on the hapless citizens of Europe.