Thursday September 13,2012


EU chief Jose Manuel Barroso

CHIEF Eurocrat Jose Barroso ignited fury yesterday by calling for the EU to become a “federation of nation states” run from Brussels.
In his most ambitious rallying cry yet for political and economic unity, the European Commission President said “shared sovereignty” was the only solution to the debt crisis in the eurozone.

Mr Barroso also demanded “absolute loyalty” from member states.

“Let’s not be afraid of the words: We will need to move towards a federation of nation states,” he said.

Mr Barroso promised a new treaty to effectively establish an elected Europe-wide government and denounced opponents of his dream as “populists and nationalists”.

His plea came yesterday in his annual “State of the Union” speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Last night critics condemned the Portuguese politician’s astonishing ambitions as “out of touch with reality”. Downing Street officials urged EU chiefs to concentrate on the economic crisis.

Mr Barroso set out a plan for the EU to “evolve” into a “deep and genuine economic and monetary union, a political union, with a coherent foreign and defence policy”.

He told Euro MPs: “We are in a defining moment. This moment requires decisions and leadership. In Europe, this means accepting we are all in the same boat. It means recognising the commonality of our interests. And it means demanding a true sense of common responsibility.

“Because when you are on a boat in the middle of the storm, absolute loyalty is the minimum you demand from your fellow crew members.”

He added: “I call for a federation of nation states.

Not a super-state; a democratic federation of nation states that can tackle our common problems, through the sharing of sovereignty in a way that each country and each citizen are better equipped to control their own destiny.”

Mr Barroso also called for a “debate” over the future of the EU and promised an overhaul of its founding treaties to make his dream possible.

Tory Euro MP Daniel Hannan said: “Mr Barroso has got no idea how far removed he is from public opinion and economic fact. I am alarmed he still seems to think a federal Europe is the answer to Europe’s problems and anyone opposed to it is a populist or an extreme nationalist.

“On his definition, three quarters of the people of Europe are populists and extreme nationalists.”

UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage issued a furious response to Mr Barroso in the parliament, telling him: “This creeping euro dictatorship will repulse millions of British people.”

Mr Farage said the speech had brought a referendum on Britain’s EU membership “a little bit closer”.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said yesterday: “From our point of view, the priority is the resolution of the euro zone crisis.”

She added: “The Prime Minister has been very clear we need to ensure we defend Britain’s national interests.”

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/345677/Call-for-united-nations-of-Europe-sparks-fury