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Donald Tusk calls Jeremy Hunt's Soviet jibe unwise and insulting | Donald Tusk calls Jeremy Hunt's Soviet jibe unwise and insulting |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt's jibe likening the EU to the Soviet Union was "as unwise as it is insulting", the president of the European Council says. | Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt's jibe likening the EU to the Soviet Union was "as unwise as it is insulting", the president of the European Council says. |
In a statement alongside Irish PM Leo Varadkar, Donald Tusk called for "respect", saying as someone who spent half his life in the Soviet bloc: "I know what I am talking about." | In a statement alongside Irish PM Leo Varadkar, Donald Tusk called for "respect", saying as someone who spent half his life in the Soviet bloc: "I know what I am talking about." |
Asked if Mr Hunt should resign, he replied: "That's not my problem." | Asked if Mr Hunt should resign, he replied: "That's not my problem." |
The foreign secretary made the comments at the Tory conference on Sunday. | The foreign secretary made the comments at the Tory conference on Sunday. |
Addressing delegates in Birmingham, he accused the EU of seeking to punish the UK in order to "keep the club together". | Addressing delegates in Birmingham, he accused the EU of seeking to punish the UK in order to "keep the club together". |
His speech recalled a visit to Latvia earlier this summer and the role that the UK and others played in helping it transition from Soviet rule to becoming a modern democracy and market economy. | His speech recalled a visit to Latvia earlier this summer and the role that the UK and others played in helping it transition from Soviet rule to becoming a modern democracy and market economy. |
"What happened to the confidence and ideals of the European dream?" he asked. "The EU was set up to protect freedom. It was the Soviet Union that stopped people leaving." | "What happened to the confidence and ideals of the European dream?" he asked. "The EU was set up to protect freedom. It was the Soviet Union that stopped people leaving." |
He has since faced calls to apologise from several EU ambassadors. | He has since faced calls to apologise from several EU ambassadors. |
At a press briefing in Brussels, Mr Tusk - the former prime minister of Poland - said: "In respecting our partners, we expect the same in return. | At a press briefing in Brussels, Mr Tusk - the former prime minister of Poland - said: "In respecting our partners, we expect the same in return. |
"Comparing the EU to the Soviet Union is as unwise as it is insulting. | "Comparing the EU to the Soviet Union is as unwise as it is insulting. |
"The Soviet Union was about prisons and gulags, borders and walls, violence against citizens and neighbours. | "The Soviet Union was about prisons and gulags, borders and walls, violence against citizens and neighbours. |
"The European Union is about freedom and human rights, prosperity and peace, life without fear, it is about democracy and pluralism - a continent without internal borders and walls. | "The European Union is about freedom and human rights, prosperity and peace, life without fear, it is about democracy and pluralism - a continent without internal borders and walls. |
"As the President of the European Council and someone who spent half his life in the Soviet bloc, I know what I am talking about." | "As the President of the European Council and someone who spent half his life in the Soviet bloc, I know what I am talking about." |
The row over Mr Hunt's remarks comes after Mrs May called for "respect" from the EU following a summit in Salzburg. | |
At the summit Mr Tusk rejected Mrs May's Brexit proposals and sparked anger among some Tories with an Instagram post suggesting she was "cherry picking". | |
'Down to business' | 'Down to business' |
The UK is due to leave the EU in March, but the two sides have not yet reached a deal on how this will work. | The UK is due to leave the EU in March, but the two sides have not yet reached a deal on how this will work. |
Mr Tusk said that now the Conservative Party conference had ended, "we should get down to business". | Mr Tusk said that now the Conservative Party conference had ended, "we should get down to business". |
And in a remark that was welcomed by some Eurosceptics who want to scrap Theresa May's proposed trade plans, he said the EU remained open to a "Canada plus plus plus" deal - a reference to the EU's free trade deal with Canada. | And in a remark that was welcomed by some Eurosceptics who want to scrap Theresa May's proposed trade plans, he said the EU remained open to a "Canada plus plus plus" deal - a reference to the EU's free trade deal with Canada. |
This would be "much further reaching on trade, on internal security and on foreign policy cooperation" than Canada's arrangement, he said. | This would be "much further reaching on trade, on internal security and on foreign policy cooperation" than Canada's arrangement, he said. |
Theresa May has said a deal like Canada's would not prevent a visible, physical border being needed in Northern Ireland - a key commitment of both sides - because of the extra checks that would be needed on goods. | |
The EU has proposed a "backstop" plan to keep the border open - under which Northern Ireland would remain aligned to some EU rules. | |
But this has been rejected by Mrs May who says the arrangement would carve up the UK and create a new border in the Irish sea. | |
UK ministers have suggested new proposals for a border backstop are being prepared. | |
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said UK officials were understood to be working on plans for a "hybrid backstop" with light-touch regulatory checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the possibility of some kind of democratic oversight from Stormont and a temporary extension of the customs union to the whole of the UK in the event that a free trade deal has not been completed. | |
There is no official confirmation of the plans or when the proposals will be presented to the EU, she added. |