Van Rompuy's Delusions revealed in grammar

Our president, the not so quiet 'assasin of Nations' that bag of charisma and foresight Herman Van Rompuy reveals all just by his use of tense in his speech today.

The various instances of complete lack of self awareness, both on his own part and on that of the institution he leads are legion. (Go and read the speech here if you want, if you have a clue about economics, please ensure that you are away from any co-workers, definately not safe for work. The sound of your hollow laughter might disturb digital networks).

I highlight merely this,

So the Euro Plus Pact has been made consistent with, and builds upon, existing instruments like the EU 2020 Strategy, the European Semester, Integrated Guidelines, the Stability andGrowth Pact and the new macroeconomic surveillance framework.
All these policies -- from the new Stability and Growth Pact to the Euro Plus Pact -- will work in the same direction: pushing Member States towards these reforms. Lagging countries - big or small - will be spotted by the markets and can be hit by sanctions. The time of complacencies is over. We learned these lessons, the hard way. The crisis was arough teacher.

Leave aside the plethora of failing institutions/strategies/projects/roadmaps/six packs and what have you and look at that last sentance.

Notice that it is in the past tense.

The crisis was a rough teacher

Yes, that's right. Was!!!  He, the Haiku-weilding mountebank thinks that the crisis is over. Finished. The lessons have been learnt.

'Phew' he seems to be saying 'that was tough but it is all right now'.

What he doesn't realise (OK he knows full well but wants to lie to us) is that what we have had so far is merely Grendel.

The monster's mother hasn't even arrived at Herot yet, but when she does, Van R and his cohorts will fain find a Beowulf.