Jose Manuel Barosso was quite rightly apoplectic and inconsolable, Herman Achille Van Rompuy was incandescent with indignation, Olli Rehn was incensed and infuriated, Mario Draghi was extremely vexed while Angela Merkel and Wolfgang Schaueble were exasperated.

Greece can achieve a primary budget surplus this year — and growth in 2014 — if it sticks to economic reforms, but a return to bond markets will be challenging, European Central Bank executive board member Joerg Asmussen said in a newspaper interview yesterday.

POLICE forces from any EU state can request DNA samples from citizens in Ireland under new EU rules.