Nigel Farage has made a hilarious comparison between his views on the European Union and those of former US President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a hard-right event in Brussels, Farage suggested that Trump’s disdain for Brussels surpassed even his own, dubbing the former President’s stance as making him “look like a Europhile” in comparison.
“I never really repeat what Trump and I say in private, but I do think there are times when Trump makes me look like a Europhile in terms of what he thinks about Brussels structures,” Farage said during his keynote speech at the event.
Known for his outspoken criticism of the EU, Farage also offered his prediction that Trump would return to the White House after the upcoming US election, even performing an impression of the former President, adding: “It’s gonna be so great.”
Trump’s antipathy towards the EU has been evident since his presidential campaign, famously referring to Brussels as “like a hellhole”. The sentiment of course strongly resonates with Farage, who has long been a vocal advocate for Brexit.
However, Farage’s speech at the event was not without controversy. The National Conservatism conference, where Farage was speaking alongside other right-wing figures such as Suella Braverman, faced opposition from Brussels authorities.
Mayor Emir Kir of the Saint-Josse-ten-Noode district ordered the closure of the conference citing concerns over public safety and stating, “the far-right is not welcome”.
Despite efforts to shut down the event, including venue cancellations and police intervention, the conference proceeded with speeches from various political figures.
Farage criticised the actions of the Brussels authorities, likening their behaviour to “the old Soviet Union” and accusing them of stifling dissent.
The conference, which had been scheduled to feature speeches from Conservative MPs Suella Braverman and Miriam Cates, as well as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, faced scrutiny and calls for boycotts from some quarters in the UK. Shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to prevent Braverman’s attendance, citing concerns over the divisive nature of the event.
Under Boris Johnson‘s government in 2020, Conservative backbencher Daniel Kawczynski was reprimanded for attending a National Conservatism conference in Rome, with a Tory spokesman condemning the views of some other speakers, including Mr Orban.
Both Ms Braverman and Ms Cates addressed the National Conservatism conference in London last year, which was disrupted by protesters.