Farage fined for ‘damp rag’ attack on EU president

The UKIP politician Nigel Farage has been fined the equivalent of 10 days' allowance money for MEPs - just under €3,000 - for his unpleasant attack on the EU president Herman Van Rompuy in the European parliament last week. Farage said he would appeal against the fine, saying: "Free speech is expensive in Brussels".

He was handed the fine by the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, after he refused to apologise or acknowledge that there's a difference between "free speech" and insulting behaviour.

The remarks, which clearly upset the majority of MEPs - not just Belgians - came after Rompuy had made his maiden speech to MEPs after resigning as the leader of Belgium to take up the new role of EU president.

As tens of thousands have now witnessed courtesy of YouTube, Farage stood up and said: "We were told that when we had a president, we'd see a giant global political figure, a man who would be the political leader for 500 million people.

"Well, I'm afraid what we got was you... the question I want to ask is: who are you? I'd never heard of you; ­ nobody in Europe had ever heard of you.

"I can speak on behalf of the majority of British people in saying that we don't know you, we don't want you and the sooner you are put out to grass, the better."

Rompuy's features appeared to register shock, bewilderment and embarrassment before settling into feigned amusement as Farage went on: "You have the charisma of a damp rag and the appearance of a low-grade bank clerk". He then described Belgium as "pretty much a non-country".

After receiving yesterday's fine from Buzek, Farage used his Twitter page to say: "Sentence passed, letter from parliament. President: Maximum allowable fine 2,980 euros. Free speech is expensive in Brussels."

He told the media: "I am not going to apologise to Mr Van Rompuy, and I am not going to apologise to the people of Belgium.

"Surely I am entitled to have a dig at a man representing 500 million people, who is paid more than the US president and who has not been elected by us?

"As for apologising to the Belgian people ­ look, I'm not going to do that for what I said about their country, which doesn't have proper political parties."

Buzek said he defended Farage's "right to disagree about the policy or institutions of the union, but not to personally insult our guests in the European parliament or the country from which they may come. His behaviour towards Mr Rompuy was inappropriate, unparliamentary and insulting to the dignity of the house." ·