LE POINT: Le chef de file des europhobes britanniques, Nigel Farage, a créé le scandale mercredi au Parlement européen en insultant le président de l'UE Herman van Rompuy à l'occasion de sa première apparition devant les eurodéputés.
"Je ne veux pas être impoli, mais vraiment, vous avez le charisme d'une serpillière humide et l'apparence d'un petit employé de banque", s'est écrié Nigel Farage, sous les huées de ses pairs, lors d'une session à Bruxelles. "Qui êtes-vous ? >>> AFP | Mercredi 24 Février 2010
BBC: A British Eurosceptic MEP has unleashed a volley of insults against the President of the European Council.
Nigel Farage, who leads UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEPS in the European parliament, said Herman van Rompuy had "the charisma of a damp rag".
He compared the former Belgian prime minister to a "low-grade bank clerk" and said he came from a "non-country".
The attack, which stunned the chamber, came as Mr Von Rompuy made his maiden appearance in parliament in Brussels.
"I don't want to be rude," Mr Farage began, before launching into a personal attack lasting several minutes.
"Who are you? I'd never heard of you, nobody in Europe had ever heard of you," Mr Farage thundered, as noisy disapproval at his intervention in the chamber rose.
'Competent and dangerous'
"Oh, I know democracy is not popular with you lot," he said, addressing the members of parliament as they voiced their surprise.
Mr Farage - known for his outspoken interventions - did, however, admit that he thought Mr Van Rompuy was "competent and capable", adding that this made him "dangerous".
"I have no doubt that your intention is to be the quiet assassin of European democracy and of European nation states," he said.
Mr Farage's party, UKIP, campaigns for the withdrawal of Britain from the European Union. It has 13 representatives in the European parliament.
"You seem to have a loathing for the very concept of the existence of nation states," Mr Farage continued, adding: "Perhaps that's because you come from Belgium, which is pretty much a non-country." Read further (with video) >>> | Wednesday, February 24, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Ukip's Nigel Farage faces reprimand after calling Herman Van Rompuy 'wet rag': Nigel Farage faces an official reprimand next week after he described Herman Van Rompuy as a "damp rag" during the European Union President's maiden appearance before MEPs. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Thursday, February 25, 2010
