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MEPs boo as Nigel Farage hurls insults in the European parliament MEPs boo as Nigel Farage hurls insults in the European parliament
(about 1 hour later)
Nigel Farage has been booed in the European parliament after he insulted fellow MEPs in an extraordinary exchange as he returned to Brussels in the wake of the Brexit vote. The European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker clashed bitterly with Nigel Farage on Tuesday, pointedly asking the Ukip leader in front of the European parliament in Brussels: “Why are you still here?”
Any hopes of the Ukip leader adopting a more conciliatory tone before the difficult negotiations that lie ahead were dashed by his belligerent speech to a highly charged emergency session of the parliament in the Belgian capital on Tuesday. In extraordinary scenes, Juncker said that he respected British democracy and Thursday’s seismic vote for the UK to leave the European Union. There was a smattering of applause in the chamber.
As Farage goaded his fellow MEPs, the feeling of antipathy appeared mutual during rowdy proceedings in which his chief defender was the far-right French politician Marine Le Pen. The former Luxembourg prime minister then broke off from his speech in French and addressed Farage in English, sitting to his immediate right. “That’s the last time you are applauding here. And to some extent I’m really surprised that you are here,” Juncker said.
After an initially – on the face of it – warm embrace between Farage and the the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, things rapidly deteriorated into open hostility, as the former Luxembourg prime minister demanded of the Ukip leader: “You were fighting for the exit, the British people voted in favour of the exit. Why are you here?” “You were fighting for the exit. The British people voted in favour of the exit; why are you here?”
Farage laughed off the comments before launching an astonishing attack on his colleagues that drew boos and heckles. Earlier the two men had embraced each other, and swapped a few words, ahead of a the session of the parliament in the Belgian capital and a summit attended by David Cameron and other European leaders. Juncker even air-kissed Farage on the cheek.
Rising to his feet, he began by sarcastically thanking his fellow MEPs “for the warm welcome” before landing his first blow: “When I came here 17 years ago and said I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union you all laughed at me. Well I have to say, you’re not laughing now are you? But the proceedings quickly degenerated into noisy near-farce. In his own speech Farage began by sardonically thanking his fellow MEPs for “the warm welcome”, before putting the boot in.
“And the reason you’re so upset, the reason you’re so angry, has been perfectly clear from all the angry exchanges this morning. You, as a political project, are in denial. You are in denial that your currency is failing.” “When I came here 17 years ago and said I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union you all laughed at me. Well I have to say, you’re not laughing now are you?” he taunted.
“And the reason you’re so upset, the reason you’re so angry, has been perfectly clear from all the angry exchanges this morning. You, as a political project, are in denial. You are in denial that your currency is failing,” Farage said.
Despite urging a “grown-up” conversation between the EU and Britain, Farage continued in a similarly mocking vein throughout his monologue, at one point telling MEPs: “Virtually none of you have ever done a proper job in your lives.”Despite urging a “grown-up” conversation between the EU and Britain, Farage continued in a similarly mocking vein throughout his monologue, at one point telling MEPs: “Virtually none of you have ever done a proper job in your lives.”
The MEPs responded to his oration with a mixture of boos, groans, shouts, and ironic applause.
Amid uproar, the parliament’s president, Martin Schulz, tried to restore order while himself taking a dig at Farage. He told MEPs: “I understand that you are emotional, but you’re acting like Ukip normally acts in the chamber. So please don’t imitate them.”Amid uproar, the parliament’s president, Martin Schulz, tried to restore order while himself taking a dig at Farage. He told MEPs: “I understand that you are emotional, but you’re acting like Ukip normally acts in the chamber. So please don’t imitate them.”
His efforts did little to calm the atmosphere as Farage went on to tell MEPs that any attempt to impose trade barriers on the UK would backfire, pointing out German car assembly workers as being among those who would suffer. He said Britain could be “your greatest friend” provided the EU did not thwart its global ambition.His efforts did little to calm the atmosphere as Farage went on to tell MEPs that any attempt to impose trade barriers on the UK would backfire, pointing out German car assembly workers as being among those who would suffer. He said Britain could be “your greatest friend” provided the EU did not thwart its global ambition.
The UK should invoke article 50 of the Lisbon treaty soon to begin its withdrawal from the EU, Farage said. “I don’t think we should spend too long doing it.”The UK should invoke article 50 of the Lisbon treaty soon to begin its withdrawal from the EU, Farage said. “I don’t think we should spend too long doing it.”
The former broker said people were sick of “merchant bankers, multinationals and big politics” controlling them and gleefully predicted that more EU countries would follow Britain in leaving the bloc. Farage enjoyed support from the far-right French politician and Front National leader Marine Le Pen, who spoke next. She dubbed last Thursday’s Brexit vote the “people’s spring” and called it “the most important historic event on the continent since the fall of the Berlin Wall”.
He was booed as he sat down and a number of MEPs turned their backs on him. In almost poetic tones, Le Pen exclaimed: “Dear colleagues, why are you getting het up? Look how beautiful history is! The UK is leaving!” She said Brexit was “a sign of liberty and freedom”, “a cry of love” even, and signified “the great emancipation” of the British people.
"You're presenting yourself as the defender of the little man - why do you have an offshore financial construction?" https://t.co/Jgs6M7I6XE"You're presenting yourself as the defender of the little man - why do you have an offshore financial construction?" https://t.co/Jgs6M7I6XE
The first person to speak after Farage was Le Pen, the leader of France’s Front National party, who hailed Britain’s decision as the beginning of a “people’s spring”. Others, however, dished it back to Farage in terms of bitter sarcasm.
But a number of MEPs who followed were not so complimentary.
The former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt said: “I am shocked, Mr Farage. You are presenting yourself as the defender of the little man, while you have an offshore financial construction.”The former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt said: “I am shocked, Mr Farage. You are presenting yourself as the defender of the little man, while you have an offshore financial construction.”
As Farage laughed, Verhofstadt added: “OK, let’s be positive, we are getting rid of the biggest waste of EU budget: your salary.”As Farage laughed, Verhofstadt added: “OK, let’s be positive, we are getting rid of the biggest waste of EU budget: your salary.”
Ukip’s only MP Douglas Carswell, was similarly unimpressed by Farage’s performance, telling LBC radio that “resorting to that sort of language is possibly not in the national interest. It struck precisely the wrong tone.” The German MEP Manfred Weber, a close ally of Angel Merkel, accused Farage of lying over his promise that the NHS would receive £350m a week in the wake of Brexit. “Shame on you,” he said, to loud applause.
Ukip’s only MP Douglas Carswell, was similarly unimpressed by Farage’s performance. He told LBC radio that “resorting to that sort of language is possibly not in the national interest. It struck precisely the wrong tone.”