Euro politicians boo Farage
Tempers flare over ‘negative campaign’
Despite Brexit, insisted Jean- Claude Juncker stoutly, “the British remain our friends.”
To judge by the scenes at the European Parliament Tuesday, I’m not sure that all his colleagues agree with him. In fact, I’m not sure that Juncker, the president of the European Commission, agrees with himself.
Members of the European Parliament ( MEPs) were holding an emergency meeting to debate what to do with Britain. “Democracy is democracy,” sighed Juncker. “And we must respect the way the U.K. has voiced its view.”
Nigel Farage, leader of the U. K. Independence Party, a prime mover in the Leave campaign and also an MEP, applauded. Juncker eyed him grimly. “That’s the last t i me you’re applauding here!” he snapped — in Eng- lish, rather than his usual French. MEPs clapped furiously.
Juncker continued to glare. “The British people voted for the exit!” he snorted. “Why are you even here?”
Guy Verhofstadt, the former prime minister of Belgium, was angry with the UKIP leader too. “It was an absolutely negative campaign — the posters by Mr. Farage were like Nazi propaganda,” he gasped. “The climate of fear that has been created — that is the most shocking thing. And today we see the result of it: a multi- billion loss in stock market value! A dramatic drop in the pound! It goes down whenever you speak, Mr. Farage!”
Farage rose to reply. The chamber booed. “Good mor- ning!” he grinned. “Thank you for that warm welcome. You all laughed at me. Well, you’re not laughing now, are you?”
No. They were jeering and whistling.
“Now,” continued Farage merrily, “I know that virtually none of you have ever done a proper job in your lives, but ...”
The outrage was deafening. Martin Schulz, president of the parliament, appealed for calm. “Ladies and gentlemen, I understand you’re getting emotional,” he pleaded, “but you’re acting like UKIP! Please, don’t imitate them!”
At last the jeering died down sufficiently for Farage to be heard. “Trade is beneficial to both of us,” he said. “If you cut off your noses to spite your faces, and reject any idea of a sensible trade deal, the consequences would be far worse for you than it would be for us.” MEPs guffawed. “Why don’t we be grownup?” asked Farage. He sat down to a barrage of boos. Satisfaction spread across his face. He looked delighted by the abuse.
Verhofstadt came back for more. “Let’s look on the positive side,” he suggested to Farage. “Finally we’re getting rid of the biggest waste of the EU budget. Your salary!” The chamber applauded. The years of negotiations with the EU should be a breeze. We haven’t even started yet, and already we’re getting on famously.
YOU ALL LAUGHED AT ME. WELL, YOU’RE NOT LAUGHING NOW, ARE YOU? — NIGEL FARAGE, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER AND UKIP LEADER THE POSTERS BY MR. FARAGE WERE LIKE NAZI PROPAGANDA.