Warning – this post may violate French law.

The ‘revelation’ that France’s new EU commissioner, Jacques Barrot, was in the past convicted for his role in a political funding scandal (because Barrot later benefited from an amnesty, mentioning this conviction is, apparently, a crime), is beginning to cause trouble in Brussels. Incoming EU president Barroso is now saying that no-one ever told him that the French nominee had had these legal, ahem, difficulties in the past.

Um, Barroso, old chap, have you ever heard of Google?

Regrettably, the post of an EU Commissioner is an important one. If we are to believe Barroso, it seems that not even the most rudimentary check was made on the background of Chirac’s nominee (given who was doing the nominating, a little caution might have been appropriate). For that lapse alone, Barroso should resign.

And he should take the collection of thieves, cronies, timeservers, lightweights and has-beens that he has the gall to call a commission with him.