Who are you?! Nigel Farage asks EU council president Van Rompuy

FOR VERSION WITHOUT MUSIC -    • Who are you Mr President? Nigel Farage ask...  

► European Parliament, Brussels - 24.02.2010

► Speaker: Nigel Farage MEP, UKIP, Co-President of the EFD group.

► Debate: European Council and Commission statements - EU 2020 - Follow-up of the informal European Council of 11 February 2010

President of the EU Council Herman Van Rompuy and Commisson President Jose Manuel Barroso participated in the debate.

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Entire Transcript:

Nigel Farage MEP, Presdient of the EFD Group (Europe of Freedom and Democracy):

We were told that when we had a president, we'd see a giant global political figure - the man that would be the political leader for 500 million people. The man that would represent all of us on the world stage. The man whose job was so important that of course you're paid more than President Obama. Well, I'm afraid what we've got was you. And I'm sorry, but after that performance, earlier, that you gave - and I don't want to be rude - but, you know, really, you have the charisma of a damp rag and the appearance of a low-grade bank clerk. And the question that I want to ask - [disruption] - the question that I want to ask is: Who are you? I'd never heard of you; nobody in Europe has ever heard of you. I would like to ask you, president, who voted for you? And what mechanism? Oh, I know democracy is not popular with you lot - [disruptions] - and what mechanism do the peoples of Europe have to remove you? Is this European democracy? Well, I sense though that you're competent and capable and dangerous, and I have no doubt that it's your intention to be the quiet assassin of European democracy and of the European nation states. You appear to have a loathing for the very concept of the existence of nation states - perhaps that's because you come from Belgium, which of course is pretty much a non-country. But since you took over, we've seen Greece reduced to nothing more than a protecorate - Sir, you have no legitimacy in this job, at all, and I can say with confidence, that I can speak on behalf of the majority of the British people in saying: We don't know you, we don't want you and the sooner you're put out to grass, the better.

Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament:

Well, as you said Mr Presdient, you wouldn't like to be rude, and I, well, I prefer to go ahead with this statement.

[Joseph Daul here uses the 'blue card' and informs Mr Farage that the UK can leave the EU.]

Martin Schulz MEP, Presdient of the S&D group (Socialists) on a point of order:

I'm very disappointed with you, President Buzek. It is not acceptable that in this parliament, that a group chairman not only criticises a president of the council, but calls him a 'wet rag'. I expect you, president, to call this person to order. It's not right that this man should be able to trample on the dignity of this house. It's not just a case of allowing the UK to leave the EU, it would be better for Mr Farage to resign if the EU and the European Parliament are such bad things in his eyes.

Jerzy Buzek:

Thank you president, just as I have said to President Farage preveiously, two months ago, and today I repeat this. These types of addresses which are character assassinations of individuals are inadmissible in the European Parliament and I spoke to Mr Farage about it and I drew his attention to it. Mr Schulz, I'd like to say that this is how I work and that's my way of going about it.

[Nigel Farage asks for a rebuttal]

Is it personal statement? The floor is yours.

Nigel Farage:

You may not like what I say, but just consider your behaviour - you, after the Irish people in a referendum voted 'no', said that our group, by supporting the 'no' vote, had opened the door to fascism. You said that we had behaved as a group in the parliament, like Hitler and the Nazis in the Reichstag. We've been called by Danny Cohn Bendit, 'Mentally weak'. You know, it can't be one way...

Buzek intervenes:

It is not personal statement, Mr President Farage, it is not personal satemtn. I am very sorry, it was not personal statement. We must keep order and all the regulations of our parliament.

END
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