We took a hit for the team, now Germany owes us an orderly break-up

“WE require a head — yours or Harry’s”.

These are words purportedly used by Rúairí Quinn, back in November 1994. The circumstance was the Labour Party ultimatum to then Taoiseach Albert Reynolds in the wake of the delayed extradition of a paedophile priest. It resulted in a change of government, without an election. Recent extraordinary political developments in Rome and Athens remind us of that regime change here. The significant difference is that these power-plays came from outside sovereign states of Italy and Greece. Europe is sleepwalking into a crisis where democracy is replaced by “technocracy”.

George Papandreou and Silvio Berlusconi undoubtedly have their failings and critics. As their feet were put to the fire, they placed austerity programmes before their parliaments. Before departing, they secured a majority for implementation. Long after their decapitation, fundamental problems will continue. Whether these debt-ridden states can restore growth through fiscal contraction remains open to serious doubt.