Former UKIP leader and Eurosceptic MEP, Nigel Farage has told the EU president that he has ‘the charisma of a damp rag’.
Who else would have the gall to lay into the EU council president in such a way? Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan has his hands tied behind his back by his own party so the bravado of his famous You Tube hit against Gordon Brown at the EU parliament will not be repeated towards Van Rompuy.
Farage did go on to draw parallels between the EU council President and a ‘low-grade bank clerk’ to which Herman winced a little and did very little to show his annoyance except slightly raise an eyebrow which went some way to inadvertently backing up Nigel’s outburst.
Nigel did not finish there and decided to move his aim for a moment towards the Rompuy cohorts (who decided to get angry and jeer at Farage on his behalf) saying “Oh, I know democracy is not popular with you lot“.
Nigel went on to say “I have no doubt your intention is to be the quiet assassin of European democracy and of European nation states,” to which Herman gave this response “There was one contribution that I can only hold in contempt, but I’m not going to comment any further.”
Spoken like a true tiger Mr President sir.
This outburst would seem like an opportunistic move by Farage to raise his public profile and that of his party given the upcoming elections if it were not for the fact that he is right. His observations and condemnation of Van Rompuy are far from outlandish and probably reflect the mood of Europe.
Lets face it, if you were to ask the man on the street who the European President is I doubt that more than 5% would get his first name right.
And this is meant to be the President of the EU Council?
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Tags: Comment, Conservative Party, Danniel Hannan, European Parliament, Herman Van Rompuy, News, nigel farage, The Hague, ukip
Richard Henly Davis proves himself to as idiotic as the gratuitously rude publicity seeker Nigel Farage. Who is he to claim to reflect the mood of Europe and proclaim Farage to be right?
My experience leads me to suspect that sadly UK public opinion and comment re the EU is significantly at odds with the rest of the EU where the popular will is to make a fist of the EU and the Euro.
And the point that he doubts more than 5% could name the EU president should be put in context, remarkably few people seem to be able to name and match many leading politicians to a role in any country including the UK.
And Peter Kinnaird proves himself to be a less than reliable commenter who cannot spell my name properly even though there is such a thing as copy and paste.
Thanks for reminding me why I vote UKIP
)
Give em hell Nigel, the pro Euro lobby can go back to Orwell’s 1984 for their democratic inspiration.
Well done Nigel. You speak for the vast majority of the British people who believe in democratic government and abhor the creation of this imperial single European state run by an increasingly arrogant political elite, which has nothing but contempt for the ballot box.
The three traditional political parties are guilty of gross dereliction of their duty and a serious betrayal of trust in having sat on their hands for forty years and allowed democracy in this country to be completely undermined by Britain’s membership of the EU.
Stuart, I didn’t realise the “vast majority of the British people” are rude, insolent individuals who shout and throw insults at people rather than using reasoned arguments. The man is a disgrace to the great British tradition of manners and reasoning, and quite frankly he could have the education of a twelve year old considering his lack of articulation. Even if you sympathise with some of UKIP’s policies, the idea of a man like that having any more power or responsibility than he already has really disgusts me. By claiming he represents the vast majority of the British people (I note you ignore voting figures in that claim as well) you’re insulting the great British public. Do not associate us with a man who cannot use reason.
Thanks Geraint for your pointed remarks. With people like Nigel and Richard (he says he agrees with Nigel) the rest of the world will soon believe that the football hooligans are not a minority in britain. The politicians of that country seem to believe that it is their duty to educate the rest of the world in democracy while insulting individuals and countries in the most childish manner.
And one more thing. Herman Van Rompuy is not the President of Europe. He is the first permanent President of the European Council which is one of the bodies of the European Union. So, if the British people don’t agree with the way the governing institutions of europe have been structured they should convince their fellow Europeans about their views on how this can be improved rather than insult those who are prepared to work within the existing institutions.
What I fail to understand is how Mr. Farage who is a member of a party that has UK in its name stands up for the “nation state” . The UK is like an embryonic Europe a country combining several nationalities/cultural identities (Welsh, Northern Irish, …) under a single fiscal and monetary union. I guess a bit like Belgium really, although he clearly fails to understand that the desire of the Flemish for their political independence is just a slightly more advanced form of the devolution a substantial part of the population in Scotland adheres to. He also sweeps under the carpet that until recently the desire to separate from the UK in certain parts of Northern Ireland could only be contained manu militari, while he seems to consider Belgium a non entity because they achieve political separation in a peaceful manner. We can only hope he gets elected as an MP in May so he can fade into the background as a member of the oldest democracy of the world and his lack of substance can be further exposed.
Dirk Cavens:
I take your point about the (semi) united kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland but would add to your description of single fiscal and monetary union with political union. That is what the EU continues to lack. Even with the unfair system of devolution the UK is more democratic than the EU.
Frank Gutman said
“So, if the British people don’t agree with the way the governing institutions of europe have been structured they should convince their fellow Europeans about their views on how this can be improved rather than insult those who are prepared to work within the existing institutions.”
Well, that’s one idea. I prefer to continue voting for politicians who will give the British the choice of whether to work within the institutions or withdraw instead.
So Farage insulted an overpaid bureacrat. It seems to be the only way he can get the attention of the mainstream media who focus on Westminster and only refer to Europe when it gets in the way.
All I can say is that my democracy does not belong to my local council, Westminster or the EU. It belongs to me. At the moment I feel that it is bit by bit being taken out of my hands and given to unelected officials all over the place.
I too feel that my franchise is diluted by our MPs’ concept of democracy, that we elect them to act for us and give away our power as our elected representatives.
The US Declaration of Independence began:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” [Source: Wikipedia].
We may not be in the same position as 18th century America but there is a clear disconnect between the people and those who govern. I don’t blame Scottish Nationalists for their desire for independence from Westminster but the difference is they don’t seem to know which side their bread is buttered. Britain has always been a big net contributor to Europe but it is the French and Germans who hold the real power and have modeled it’s institutions to suit themselves whilst retaining the principle of heads of government wielding the real power rather than a Parliament. By comparison, the Scots get a good deal from the English. If they want out that’s fine by me but I’d prefer to see an integrated Britain without devolution.