Thread by @RobinWigg

I only have one Valéry Giscard d’Estaing anecdote, from a conference at an Irish castle back in 2012. ft.com/content/b44c1c…

He was on a panel with a host of bigwigs, like @paulkrugman and Peter Mandelson. The Eurozone crisis was raging, and Giscard d’Estaing proposed that Greece take a two-year "holiday"from the euro to sort itself out.

I remember @paulkrugman visibly spluttered at what was obviously an insane idea - Greece perhaps should have exited the euro, but the idea of a temporary "holiday" was preposterous. But Paul was too polite to say how dumb it was.

But Mandy didnt give two fucks, and just HAMMERED Giscard d’Estaing, saying straight up in his icy way that it was "the stupidest thing I've heard in a long time" or something to that effect, and then utterly demolished the idea in front of everyone.

Say what you will about the "Prince of Darkness" but he was a very smart guy and astonishingly clear communicator (ok maybe this was more of an anecdote about the New Labour bete noire than Giscard d’Estaing, but to the latter's credit he took his savaging with incredible grace).