Deluded perchance?

One pof the most fascinatingthings about politicians is their ability to see the world through their own spectacles, and not allow brute reality to impinge upon them. Thus it is with Martin Schulz, leader off the socialist group which we must learn to call, at least for the next week the "Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament".

Here he is about the sucess of the Group in last month's elections,

the group has gone from holding approximately 27.5% of the seats in the outgoing Parliament to around 25.8% of the seats in the new Parliament.

According to Martin Schulz, it is therefore a "marginal decline" for the second largest group and the only one with MEPs from all 27 Member States. Its power is still "practically identical," and without it "the formation of a democratic and social coalition is not possible."

With only 25% of seats other coalitions are indeed possible. However best of all is the following,

"I am working extremely hard to hold back the 27 heads of state or government."

Guffaw, chortle, gasp. Oh yes Martin, Angela, Nicolas and the crew are going to take a blind bit of notice of a failed-burgomeister style, arm-waving auto-dictat whose group got womped in the elctions.

Nah, don't think so. The chilled towels are kept over there on the sideboard, why don't you go and get one?