What, Robin Lustig, asked him, was Sweden's secret? How come Sweden's unemployment levels were so benign in comparison with Britain's? Ah, said Mr Borg, that's because we were more careful with our spending. We ran a surplus in 2006 and 2007, so that when the crisis came we could put that money into our economy.
Somewhere, I fancy, the corpse of JM Keynes gave a twitch, and in his long sleep the great man dreamed that someone in the world of the living had finally listened to him.
Lustig persisted. Did Mr Borg think that Britain was right to be cutting its deficit? Yes, said Borg. When the deficit is so bad you have no alternative. But what, Lustig went on, his desperation now becoming palpable, was Sweden's experience when it tackled its spending? Was Britain right to be cutting so fast? Yes, said Borg. We found in Sweden that it was helpful to front-load the spending cuts.
So there you have it. Someone who thinks George Osborne has got it about right.
Oh, and it turns out that Sweden isn't going to sign last weekend's Euro treaty either. Not without some changes. We are not alone!
