EU in denial over its ‘cherished’ borders

THE EU was accused of airbrushing Brexit yesterday after failing to mention the referendum result in a major report into democracy and the political climate in Europe.

In a sign that officials in Brussels have ignored the concerns of political leaders and voters, it claimed that most people ‘cherished’ Europe’s open borders.

Concerns about the European Union’s lax rules on immigration played a significant role in the Leave campaign and have been echoed by leaders across Europe who have called for reform. Yet the annual ‘citizen report’, which claims to ‘gain insight’ into living in the EU, failed to mention the referendum result.

Senior EU officials yesterday insisted the report reflected the ‘whole picture’ of the EU political climate and that it was based on a ‘wide range’ of views.

Asked why the authors had ignored the vote, EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said: ‘The UK remains a part of the EU. The vast majority of Europeans really feel European, there is no doubt about it.’

Tory MEP Daniel Hannan criticised the EU for omitting any discussion concerning issues arising from Britain’s vote to leave Europe. ‘If the EU was more sensitive to public opinion on these matters then perhaps Britain would have voted to stay,’ he said.

‘I’m glad that this is not going to be our problem any more.’