Boris Johnson accused of ‘foreigner bashing’ by EU boss Verhofstadt in furious rant
SNEERING Brussels boss Guy Verhofstadt has accused Boris Johnson of "false promises, pseudo-patriotism, and foreigner bashing" in a bitter personal attack.
The EU Parliament Brexit negotiator lashed out, calling the Tory frontrunner "a man who continues to dissemble, exaggerate, and disinform the public".
In the extraordinary rant he mocked eurosceptics' vision of a Global Britain, bragging the EU will overshadow the UK on the world stage.
The ex-Belgian PM also claimed Mr Johnson will struggle to deliver on many of his key Brexit promises, especially getting a better deal from Brussels.
He jibed: “To those of us watching from the outside, the debate between the candidates confirms that they have learned nothing whatsoever from the past two years of negotiations with the EU.
"Though Johnson will most likely soon find himself in a position where he must make good on his promises, he continues to spread untruths.
"Chief among them is the myth that Britain can tear up the withdrawal agreement that May negotiated with the EU, withhold its financial commitments to the bloc, and simultaneously start negotiating free-trade deals.
"To Johnson’s followers, however, he is more prophet than politician. Only he can deliver a mythical 'true Brexit' that will deliver the prosperity promised during the referendum campaign."
He continues to spread untruths
Guy Verhofstadt
His attack represents a departure from the approach by fellow EU chiefs, who take a more diplomatic line towards the man most likely to be Britain's next PM.
Mr Verhofstadt also rapped the former Vote Leave chief for his claims during the referendum over £350million a week for the NHS and Turkey's membership hopes.
And he laid into Global Britain, saying Mr Johnson would "drag the country down a path strewn with uprooted trade ties and substantial new barriers to commerce".
Referring to Brussels' progressing trade talks with the South American bloc Mercosur, he boasted: "The real global trading power, of course, is the EU.
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"With Johnson likely taking power in late July, Europe will have offered still more proof that Brexit is not only unnecessary but also detrimental to Britain’s economic interests.
"The 'buccaneering' Brexiteers might then finally have to explain what it is they’re still complaining about."
Mr Verhofstadt has regularly attacked Mr Johnson, sparking outrage on one occasion by comparing him to an executed leader of the French Revolution.
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