Bundle of fun: a Fortis protester displays a wad of fake banknotes portraying Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy and finance minister Didier Reynders, at the entrance of the shareholders meeting in Ghent

The look on Jozef de Mey’s face as he dodged a shoe thrown at him from the audience – a mix of anger, bewilderment and indecision – was not far removed from the look on the faces of the shareholders who looked on as the chairman of Fortis Holding called for the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting to be adjourned.