BRUSSELS – UK Independence Party (Ukip) MEP Godfrey Bloom was expelled from the European Parliament chamber yesterday for calling German Socialist MEP Martin Schülz an “undemocratic fascist”.
Mr Bloom interrupted a speech by Mr Schülz by calling out, in German, the infamous Nazi slogan, “Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer” – One people, one nation, one leader.
The intervention came as Mr Schülz was complaining about the UK’s role in reducing the size of the EU budget next year and asking: “Does the UK decide everything that happens in the EU?”
Mr Bloom’s intervention prompted Mr Schülz to respond: “I don’t know if people heard that . . . when a man like that traipses through this chamber chanting ‘Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer’ . . . there were people in Germany who said that and I fight against that spirit in everything I do, but I’m not sure he (Mr Bloom) does.” European Parliament president Jerzy Buzek, chairing the debate, looked set to carry on, but jeers rose up and the French centre-right leader in the parliament, Joseph Daul, challenged Mr Bloom to apologise.
Mr Buzek then asked Mr Bloom to apologise and the Ukip member for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire stood up and replied: “The views expressed by Herr Schülz meet the case – he is an undemocratic fascist.”
A shocked Mr Buzek retorted: “Well, we expected something quite different.” Amid a growing clamour from MEPs, Mr Buzek then asked Mr Bloom to leave the chamber.
Mr Bloom returned later to take part in a vote but ushers escorted him out again.
“My father, as a Spitfire pilot, fought for freedom against Nazi domination of Europe. As an MEP, I will fight against the destruction of democracy across Europe,” he said. – (PA)