Rise of Eurosceptism an assertion of identity - Nigel Farage
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President Farage (EFD)
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There is only one real debate going on here
this week in Strasbourg, it is the fear stalking
the corridors. The concern you've got about
the rise of Euroscepticism.
Years ago, you were less worried, the few
of us here who were eurosceptic were treated
as being mentally ill and sort of patted on
the head.
But now we are 'evil', 'populists', we are
'dangerous'; we are going to bring down Western civilisation.
And it is clear, you don't get
it. You don't understand why this is happening
- well let me help you.
In 2005, it was the pivotal moment of this
project, the French and the Dutch had said
No to the EU Constitution. Mr Barroso stood
up and said they didn't really vote no,
they didn't understand what they were doing.
They did! You see ever since 2005, the real
European debate is about identity.
What we are saying, large numbers of us from every
single EU member state is: we don't want that
flag, we don't want the anthem that you all
stood so ram-rod straight for yesterday, we
don't want EU passports,
we don't want political union.
And if you think about it, there is nothing
extreme about that position, there is nothing
right wing about that position, there is nothing
left wing indeed about that position.
It is a normal sensible assertion of identity.
Because what we are saying on
our side of the argument...
[shouting from MEPS] Well you see you can
scream and shout all you like, which really
rather proves to me why you are going to do
so badly in the European elections next year.
Because you are not listening.
We want to live and work and breathe in a
Europe of nation state democracy.
We want to trade together, we want to cooperate together.
We are happy to agree sensible common minimum
standards, and yes we want to control our
own borders which is the rational logical
and sensible thing for any nation state to
do. We are not against immigration, we are
not against immigrants, we believe there needs
to be a degree of control.
And that is the message that is picking up
support right across this continent and I
genuinely think that there is an opportunity
for an electoral earthquake to happen in the
European elections next year with a large
number of people from all sides of this House
who will come with a nation state agenda.
Who will come saying, let's have a Europe,
as De Gaulle might have said, of the patrie.
Let's not have a Europe of political union.
And you can abuse us all you like, but what
we stand for is fair, principled and democratic.
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