A welcome piece of good news for Jean-Claude Trichet, European Central Bank president: Estonia is about to join the eurozone as its 17th member. The entry of the tiny Baltic state has significance beyond its shores. It shows that despite all the woes of the past year, Europe’s monetary union is still on an expansion course. Mr Trichet has just been speaking in Tallinn, the country’s capital, at an event kicking off the final preparations before January 1, 2011 when the euro becomes legal tender.

His comments covered the usual themes about Europe’s common destiny and the euro’s importance in the continent’s economic integration. But Mr Trichet did not speak as if Greece had never happened. There was a stern warning that future members had to do more that just meet the technical requirements for joining (although with hindsight, it is not even clear that Greece managed that).

Mr Trichet said: Read more