Brian Lenihan named Europe's "worst finance minister" amid Irish crisis.

Fianna Fail member and current "minister for finance"
Brian Lenihan has been listed in 19th (lowest spot) in a poll of the best to worst finance ministers in Europe...
Wolfgang Schaeuble: of Germany is listed as Europe's best finance minister.
With Poland's Jacek Rostowski comming in second.

While I admit that Fianna Fail are a terrible government and have led to the loss of Irish economic independence over the last few weeks - talks between Lenihan and the American-owened IMF have summented a dubious future for the Republic....It is still worth pointing out that this poll is deliberatly singleing out Ireland.
Proof of this is that Greace's finance minister George Papaconstantinou was listed as 8th in the poll (despite the fact taht Greece fell into severe economic turmoil before the "IMF talks" In Ireland began)--- infact Greace has asked that the EU and IMF impose austiorty messaures that are based on Ireland's on their economy.

The fact is England has agreed to lend Ireland money to get out of the banking crisis (pay of AIB which will lend the next few generations of Irish taxpayer's - such as this writer in debt to the banks - and England)meaning we've once again lost our independence to England and the rest of Euroupe wants a country to blame for their own failures and Ireland is the horse picked, despite the fact Greece got their first.

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Backround:

At least three to four weeks ago John Gormmly leader of the "Irish Green party" the small minioirty party that is keeping Fianna Fail in power as a coalitoin parthner, announced that the Greens would leave government and an election should be healed by the end of January, the same afternoon Mr. Gormmley announced that the Greens would support an upcomming Fianna Fail budget that will be put to the Dail on December 7h (tomorrow) for aproval. The same day two Fianna Fail TD's called for prime minister Brian Cowen's rescognation as party leader and head of the state.
Ireland's raidcal party Sinn Féin then attempted a vote of no confidence in Fianna Fail but Fine Gael and Labour igonred it.

After that Brian Lenhian stated that Ireland was not in a national crisis and did not need IMF or EU funding to repair it's banks and markets.
Cowen later repeated this heavily scripted lie but by the end of the week it was revealed by British finance minister George Osborn (who came sixth in the list) that Ireland had been in "seceret talks" with England to agree on funds to help rescue Ireland's economy again (meaning in the long term Ireland would be in debt to the UK.) Then it was reavled we were in talks with the IMF and the EU who have agreed a package for our economy....
Fianna Fail then relasead a four year plan, which in the words of Enda Kenney (leader of Fine Gael- Ireland's main oppostion party) "God help us all."
As the plan is nothing but a rehash of what Fianna Fail have said for over 14 years, that the country needs to be "improved" without actually pointing out how.

So yes Fianna Fail have destroyed our country, yes Fianna Fail are incompetent, yes the Greens are on both sides of the bed wanting out of the government and yet going to support tomorrow's impending budget which is apperantly "the toughest in the history of the state." But also yes, the EU is not facing up to it's own responsabllites and short-commings and is pinning the blame on Ireland and yes this is unfair, welcome to the world of international politics folks.