Farage was responding to a speech by Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, during which he called for further European integration to avert the worsening economic crisis.
Barroso asserted that the economic crisis has turned into a “fight for European integration,” insisting that the solution to the growing threat to the european single currency is a more, and not less, integrated European Union.
During the speech in Strasbourg, Barroso claimed that he is getting “signals” from EU leaders that they wish to push for “a more integrated Europe” in response to the crisis.
“What we need now is a new, unifying impulse, a new federalist moment – let’s not be afraid to use the word.” Barroso said, adding ”The right way to stop the negative cycle and strengthen the euro is to deepen integration, mainly in the euro area. This is the way to go.”
“This is a fight for the jobs and prosperity of families in all our member states. This is a fight for the economic and political future of Europe. This is a fight for what Europe represents in the world. This is a fight for European integration itself.” Barroso stated.
Barroso suggested that more central European governance was needed in order to fully implement rules governing the running of the euro area.
“… if a eurosceptic fringe can determine the position of one member state and one member state can block decisions, the result is that we are not credible.” Barroso said.
The EC president attempted to dismiss the idea that such a move would threaten the national sovereignty of member states by adding “This is not about institutional positioning or power. It is about efficiency and delivery.”
“Economic and monetary union cannot function properly only on the basis of decisions taken by unanimity.” Barroso said, suggesting that the Commission and the EU should have authority over the governments of member states to enforce rules via the EU “Community method”.
“A system based purely on intergovernmental cooperation has not worked in the past and will not work in the future. After all, this is why the Community method and the EU institutions were created by the member states in the first place.” Barroso argued.
In response, Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, argued that the so called “Troika” group, made up of officials from the Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), are nothing more than ”part-time overseas dictators” issuing orders to the Greek government. Farage addressed Barroso directly, stating ”I don’t think even you believe in what you are saying, because we all know that Greece is going to default.”
“You can’t say you weren’t warned: you were all told that Greece should never have joined the euro.” Farage added, noting that five years ago he had personally been “treated with such utter derision” for warning about Greek bond spreads, as if he had “been let out of the local lunatic asylum”.
“Now you’ve got European economic governance and what is it?” Farage said.
“A troika of officials from the Commission, the ECB and the appalling IMF step off a plane and they go in and meet the Greek government and they tell the Greek government what they may or may not do.”
“You have KILLED democracy in Greece.” Farage urged.
“You have three part-time overseas dictators now tell the Greek people what they can and cannot do. It is totally unacceptable.” he added.
“Is it any wonder the Greek people are now burning EU flags and drawing swastikas across them?”
“Unless Greece is allowed to get out of this economic and political prison, you may well spark a revolution in that country.” Farage noted.
watch the full speech below, along with the key parts of Barroso’s original speech to the Parliament:
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