Finance Ministers' Top 20

I've been enjoying the annual Financial Times’ guide to how Europe’s finance ministers are doing. After a great deal of number-crunching, chin-stroking, horse-trading and coin-tossing, they have come up with the unbearably exciting, grey-pinstriped, financial equivalent of a Top of the Pops / Smash Hits / Billboard Top 20. (Well, OK, top 19.) And here they are! (If you're not trembling too much with excitement to click on the link.)

As the FT says:

"Now in its third year, the FT survey benchmarks performance, to reveal who is the best performing and most respected – as well as potential future stars. The challenges this year were greater than ever...."

No kidding.

I was delighted to see that Ireland's Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, didn't come last. Far from it! He came in a very respectable second last.