Ian Paisley nearly made it into the chair of the European parliament on Tuesday. Before the new president of the parliament is elected, the oldest member takes the chair. Former Portuguese PM, Mario Soares was the man, but since he was running for office he couldn't preside. There was a sigh of relief when the next in line, Italian socialist, Giorgio Napolitano, born 1925, was ready and able. (The ascent to the chair of the next eldest - Belgium fascist Karel Dillen, also born in 1925 - would have caused uproar and walkouts.) Even Paisley, next in line, born in 1926, would have been a relief after that.