His delusion no laughing matter - Juncker out of touch

THE bullying, ineffective EU Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, is not known for doing stand-up routines, but, judging from the reaction yesterday by MEPs to his ‘state of the union’ address at the European parliament, in Strasbourg, he could give Tommy Tiernan a run for his money.

Prior to a debate on the commission’s Apple tax ruling in relation to Ireland, Juncker drew howls of laughter from MEPs, when he hailed the commission’s efforts in the “fight against tax evasion”.

There were also a few titters when he spoke of the strength of the EU, and insisted that the union was not in danger of disintegrating, despite the existential crisis caused by Brexit.

Juncker must be living on a different continent if yesterday’s address is anything to go by. “The EU, as such, is not at risk,” he told the parliament.

Really? Apart from Brexit, there is growing anti-EU sentiment in France, Italy, and Greece. And how about the decision by Hungary to erect a Donald Trump-style wall along its border with Serbia and Croatia, to keep out migrants, and their plan to build a second one?

His capacity for self-delusion is endless. Last February, faced with a UK referendum, he declared he had ‘no Plan B’, as there was no prospect of Britain leaving the EU. That would be funny, were it not so serious.