Top Eurocrats said the Foreign Secretary should try reading a history book and educate himself about Europe's ‘dark’ history of Communism in a withering putdown of his conference speech
JEREMY Hunt was warned he risked torpedoing Britain's hopes of a good Brexit deal after his comparison of the EU to the Soviet Union sparked a furious backlash across Europe.
The Foreign Secretary was mauled by the Commission and even the most UK-friendly Member States, who branded his remarks "outrageous" and "insulting".
Germany, Sweden, Latvia and Estonia all publicly rebuked him for calling the bloc a "prison" and suggesting it was acting like the USSR by trying to stop Britain leaving.
And in a withering putdown top Eurocrats mockingly said Mr Hunt should educate himself about Europe's "dark" history of Communism by reading a book.
A Commission spokesman jibed: "I'd say respectfully we would all benefit, and in particular foreign affairs ministers, from opening a history book from time to time."
Asked which tome the Foreign Secretary should turn to, he replied: "There’s lots of literature covering this dark period of European history."
Germany's Europe Minister, Michael Roth, blasted back at the Foreign Secretary, insisting: "Sorry Jeremy Hunt. The EU is no prison."
And his compatriot Sabine Weyand, who is Michel Barnier's deputy, retweeted a furious message from Latvia's ambassador to the UK slamming the remarks.
Meanwhile the EU Parliament's Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, said Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher would be horrified by the comparison.
He said: "Offensive and outrageous comments by Mr Hunt, especially to those millions of Europeans that lived under Soviet occupation. Churchill and Thatcher, these great defenders of European freedom and democracy, must be turning in their graves."
And Sweden's ambassador to London, Torbjörn Sohlström, raged: "Expecting respect in Brexit negotiations is right, comparing the EU with the Soviet Union is not."
The foreign secretary's speech prompted particular anger in former Soviet bloc countries, which Britain is relying on as key allies in the Brexit talks. EU health commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, from Lithuania, said Mr Hunt clearly didn't understand the history of the region.
He said: "Dear Jeremy Hunt, I was born in a Soviet gulag and have been imprisoned by the KGB a few times in my life. Happy to brief you on the main differences between the EU and the Soviet Union. And also why we escaped the USSR. Anytime. Whatever helps."
And Estonia's ambassador to London, Tiina Intelmann, fumed: "The comparison is insulting."
Meanwhile former Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski called on Mr Hunt to apologise for the "cheap and offensive" comments.
An EU source branded the foreign secretary's comments "outrageous", pointing out they were a spectacular own goal. They told The Sun: "This will damage relations with those Member States most likely to be sympathetic to the UK."
Mr Hunt's controversial comparison also heightened the bitter row in the Tory party, with ex-Tory minister and Remain campaigner Anna Soubry branding it "shameful".
THE EU’s cry-bullies are OUTRAGED that Jeremy Hunt compared their aggression to the old Soviet Union. Well, diddums.
He noted, quite reasonably, that Brussels’ forcible attempts to lock Britain in and deter others from leaving was reminiscent of the Soviet empire’s treatment of its member states.
It is a figure of speech. The Foreign Secretary’s not literally comparing Juncker to Stalin’s regime of mass murder.
And the EU has no defence. Which is why its lackeys, such as curtain-haired clown Guy Verhofstadt, instead wilfully misinterpreted him for dramatic effect.
One even whined it could “damage relations” with other member states.
Are they for real? The French president brands Brexit campaigners “liars” — implying 17.4million Brits are dupes. Donald Tusk humiliates our PM. But WE’RE in danger of souring relations.
Give it a rest, EU fools.
