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Jeremy Hunt draws EU ire over Soviet prison comparison Jeremy Hunt draws EU ire over Soviet prison comparison
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The British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has come under fire for comparing the European Union to the Soviet Union during a speech at the Conservative party conference. The foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has been criticised for comparing the European Union to the Soviet Union during a speech at the Conservative party conference.
Two former leaders of the Foreign Office and a former president of Estonia were among those who criticised the speech in which Hunt described the EU as a prison. Two former leaders of the Foreign Office and a former president of Estonia were among those who condemned the speech, in which Hunt described the EU as a prison.
Peter Ricketts, who ran the Foreign Office between 2006-10 and is a former ambassador to France, tweeted: “This rubbish is unworthy of a British foreign secretary. The EU isn’t a Soviet-style prison. Its legal order has brought peace and prosperity after a century of war. Our decision to leave was always going to leave us worse off. The only punishment is the self-inflicted variety.” Peter Ricketts, who ran the Foreign Office in 2006-10 and is a former ambassador to France, tweeted: “This rubbish is unworthy of a British foreign secretary. The EU isn’t a Soviet-style prison. Its legal order has brought peace and prosperity after a century of war. Our decision to leave was always going to leave us worse off. The only punishment is the self-inflicted variety.”
Sir Simon Fraser, who led the Foreign Office from 2010-15, said he agreed with Lord Ricketts: “Whatever you think about #Brexit, shocking failure of judgement for British foreign secretary to compare European Union with Soviet Union.” Sir Simon Fraser, who led the Foreign Office in 2010-15, said he agreed with Lord Ricketts. “Whatever you think about #Brexit, shocking failure of judgement for British foreign secretary to compare European Union with Soviet Union,” he wrote on Twitter.
The comparison would have been shocking for many EU member states that were once occupied by the Soviet Union, or controlled from Moscow. The comparison would have been shocking for many EU member states that were once occupied by the Soviet Union or controlled from Moscow. The president of the European council, Donald Tusk, was a student supporter of Poland’s anti-communist Solidarity trade union. He lost his job and was evicted from his home when Poland’s rulers cracked down on opponents in 1981, and was later jailed for founding a periodical about liberal economics. He has yet to comment on Hunt’s remarks.
The president of the European council, Donald Tusk, was a student supporter of Poland’s anti-communist Solidarity trade union. He lost his job and was evicted from his home when Poland’s rulers cracked down on opponents in 1981, and was later jailed for founding a periodical about liberal economics. He has yet to comment on Hunt’s remarks. Latvia’s ambassador to London, Baiba Braže, tweeted: “Soviets killed, deported, exiled and imprisoned [hundreds of] thousands of Latvia’s inhabitants after the illegal occupation in 1940, and ruined lives of 3 generations, while the EU has brought prosperity, equality, growth, respect.”
Latvia’s ambassador to London, Baiba Braže, wrote: “Soviets killed, deported, exiled and imprisoned [hundreds of] thousands of Latvia’s inhabitants after the illegal occupation in 1940, and ruined lives of 3 generations, while the EU has brought prosperity, equality, growth, respect.” To dispel the impression of a break in relations, Braže later added she was grateful for Hunt’s “warm words and memories” of his visit to Latvia and “the UK’s contribution to our freedom”.
To dispel the impression of a break in relations, she later added she was grateful for the foreign secretary’s “warm words and memories” of his visit to Latvia and “the UK’s contribution to our freedom”.
Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Estonia’s former president, criticised Hunt’s words in a series of withering tweets. “I used to think foreign ministers were the smartest people in democratic governments,” he wrote. However, while serving as Estonia’s foreign minister “I realised then that most of my colleagues from parliamentary democracies were either the head of the junior coalition partner (with little interest in foreign policy) or a crony/competitor of the PM.”Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Estonia’s former president, criticised Hunt’s words in a series of withering tweets. “I used to think foreign ministers were the smartest people in democratic governments,” he wrote. However, while serving as Estonia’s foreign minister “I realised then that most of my colleagues from parliamentary democracies were either the head of the junior coalition partner (with little interest in foreign policy) or a crony/competitor of the PM.”
Hunt told party conference delegates he had voted to remain in the EU, but now supported leave because of what he called the EU’s “arrogance” during Brexit negotiations. Hunt told party conference delegates he had voted to remain in the EU but now supported leave because of what he called the EU’s “arrogance” during Brexit negotiations. He said the EU seemed to want to “punish” a member for leaving, and likened its tactics to the Soviet Union’s.
He said the EU seemed to want to “punish” a member for leaving, and likened their tactics to the Soviet Union. “The lesson from history is clear: if you turn the EU club into a prison, the desire to get out won’t diminish, it will grow – and we won’t be the only prisoner that will want to escape,” he said.
“The lesson from history is clear: if you turn the EU club into a prison, the desire to get out won’t diminish, it will grow – and we won’t be the only prisoner that will want to escape.
“If you reject the hand of friendship offered by our prime minister, you turn your back on the partnership that has given Europe more security, more freedom and more opportunities than ever in history.”“If you reject the hand of friendship offered by our prime minister, you turn your back on the partnership that has given Europe more security, more freedom and more opportunities than ever in history.”
He also recalled a recent visit to Latvia, where he laid a wreath at the Latvian Freedom Monument. “In a remarkable transformation, Latvia is a modern democracy, part of both Nato and the EU. And no European country did more to bring about that transformation than Britain.” He recalled a recent visit to Latvia where he laid a wreath at the Latvian Freedom Monument. “In a remarkable transformation, Latvia is a modern democracy, part of both Nato and the EU. And no European country did more to bring about that transformation than Britain,” he said.
Jeremy HuntJeremy Hunt
BrexitBrexit
European UnionEuropean Union
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