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Eurosceptic MEP 'won't apologise' MEP Farage censured for 'insults'
(29 minutes later)
The Eurosceptic MEP Nigel Farage says he has been officially asked to apologise for a tirade he delivered in the European Parliament last week. Eurosceptic MEP Nigel Farage has been reprimanded for delivering an "insulting" tirade in the European Parliament but will not be suspended.
Speaking after meeting the head of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, Mr Farage refused to apologise and said he expected to be suspended. Mr Farage caused outrage among many MEPs when he told the President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy he had "the charisma of a damp rag".
Last week he told the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy he had "the charisma of a damp rag". The authorities said he had refused to apologise and would lose an allowance paid to MEPs for 10 days as a result.
The former Belgian PM was making his maiden appearance in his new role. Mr Farage said his was a legitimate "voice of opposition" to EU policies.
Possible sanctions range from a reprimand to suspension, a parliament spokesperson told BBC News. 'Not acceptable'
'Bank clerk' He said he would continue to criticise the powers wielded by Mr van Rompuy and other senior officials who had not been elected.
Before meeting Mr Buzek on Tuesday, Mr Farage told the BBC he was providing a legitimate "voice of opposition" in the European Parliament against what he said was the loss of UK powers to Brussels. Mr Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) group in the parliament, drew jeers last Wednesday when he said Mr van Rompuy, had the appearance of a "low-grade bank clerk" and described Belgium as "pretty much a non-country".
Mr Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) group in the parliament, drew jeers last Wednesday when he turned on Mr Van Rompuy, saying he had the appearance of a "low-grade bank clerk". I cannot accept this sort of behaviour in the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament
Those of us that have battled against the European institutions on the basis that they were becoming fundamentally undemocratic have been proved to be right Nigel Farage The president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, said such language was "not acceptable".
Speaking after meeting Mr Buzek, Mr Farage told journalists he had been asked to apologise adding: "The only people I'm going to apologise to are bank clerks the world over - if I've offended them then I'm very sorry indeed." During a meeting with Mr Farage to discuss his comments, Mr Buzek said he had asked him to apologise for the personal criticism of Mr van Rompuy which he said was "offensive".
He said Mr Buzek had said he "won't let this sort of thing happen again" and would let him "know shortly what my penalty will be". "I defend absolutely Mr Farage's right to disagree about the policy or institutions of the European Union," he said.
"So I'm assuming that he will suspend me for a period of time from the parliament, I'm assuming he will try through the conference of presidents to get my position as leader of a group in parliament taken away. "But...his behaviour towards Mr van Rompuy was inappropriate, unparliamentary and insulting to the dignity of the House....I cannot accept this sort of behaviour in the European Parliament."
"Those of us that have battled against the European institutions on the basis that they were becoming fundamentally undemocratic have been proved to be right." Given Mr Farage's refusal to apologise, Mr Buzek said he would be docked his right to a daily allowance paid to all MEPs for 10 days.
Lisbon Treaty Mr Farage said the amount he would lose would be about 3,000 euros (£2,722).
He said he did not think he had been insulting or used "unparliamentary language" and his comments had sparked a debate on Mr Van Rompuy's role. The European Parliament had the power to suspend Mr Farage but decided against the move.
The job of president of the European Council was created by the EU's controversial Lisbon Treaty - a treaty condemned by Eurosceptics. Unrepentant
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Farage was unrepentant: "The only people I'm going to apologise to are bank clerks the world over - if I've offended them then I'm very sorry indeed," he said.
He said he did not think he had been insulting or used "unparliamentary language" and his comments had sparked a debate on Mr Van Rompuy's role as president of the European Council - a role created under the EU's controversial Lisbon Treaty and opposed by Eurosceptics.
Mr Van Rompuy got a blistering attack on his first appearance before MEPsMr Van Rompuy got a blistering attack on his first appearance before MEPs
Mr Farage's party, UKIP, campaigns for a withdrawal of Britain from the European Union. It has 13 representatives in the parliament.Mr Farage's party, UKIP, campaigns for a withdrawal of Britain from the European Union. It has 13 representatives in the parliament.
Mr Farage opened his attack against Mr Van Rompuy last week by saying "I don't want to be rude" - before launching into a personal attack lasting several minutes. During his attack on Mr Van Rompuy last week - during the former Belgian PM's maiden appearance in the role - Mr Farage said "nobody in Europe had ever heard" of him.
"Who are you? I'd never heard of you, nobody in Europe had ever heard of you," Mr Farage said. He told the BBC he would continue to draw attention to the fact that Mr van Rompuy and other EU officials had the power to "fundamentally change" the lives of UK citizens even though they had not been elected.
'Lively debate' Mr van Rompuy, 62, was chosen unanimously by the governments of the EU's 27 member states to take on the role of the first permanent European Council president.
"You seem to have a loathing for the very concept of the existence of nation states," he continued, adding: "Perhaps that's because you come from Belgium, which is pretty much a non-country." Mr van Rompuy said he held Mr Farage's comments "in contempt", without elaborating.
A spokesman for the European Parliament said Mr Farage had been "simply invited" to see Mr Buzek "about his statements and formulations during the plenary".
HAVE YOUR SAYWhat Mr Farage said was just childish, there was nothing intelligent or clever about his commentsSW Send us your comments
Mr Farage denied his remarks were a personal slur on Mr Van Rompuy, saying they were part of the "lively debate" needed in Parliament.
He told the BBC he would continue to draw attention to the fact that Mr Van Rompuy and other EU officials had the power to "fundamentally change" the lives of UK citizens even though they had not been elected.
Mr Van Rompuy, 62, was chosen unanimously by the governments of the EU's 27 member states to take on the role of the first permanent European Council president.
Mr Van Rompuy said he held Mr Farage's comments "in contempt", without elaborating.