Politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen never seem to have learned that they will not be trusted if they repeatedly lie.

On May 6 a meeting of eurozone finance ministers was held in Luxembourg to discuss measures to stabilize the system in the light of continuing uncertainty about the ability of Greece to repay its debts.

The fact that this meeting was taking place was not announced publicly. Instead, an official spokesman denied that a meeting had taken place on the grounds that the decision to hold the meeting might have destabilized markets.