icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
6 Apr, 2016 14:50

‘The people of Europe want their national sovereignty’ – UKIP MEP

‘The people of Europe want their national sovereignty’ – UKIP MEP

The EU is essentially an empire and like all empires it is seeking expansion, otherwise it will shrivel and die. And this is the start of it, says UK Independence Party MEP Ray Finch.

Dutch citizens are voting in a referendum on whether to support or reject the EU’s Association Agreement with Ukraine. Today's vote poses the question whether there should be closer political and economic ties between Europe and Ukraine. The agreement is supposed to remove some trade barriers and be a step towards visa free movement.

RT: In your view why is this referendum so important?

Ray Finch: This is the only chance anyone in the European nations gets to vote on this. But it is not just about the EU-Ukraine trade agreements. It is a signal that the European people have now had enough of more Europe, of more EU – they want national sovereignty. And this will be an overwhelming and resounding victory for the nation states of Europe.

READ MORE: ‘Won’t help ordinary Ukrainians’: Dutch suspect EU/Kiev deal more for power players than people

RT: There's some strong opposition to Ukraine-EU association. Why is that?Isn't it good for Europe to get access to Ukrainian markets, for instance?

RF: It is not about EU-Ukraine. The EU is essentially an empire and like all empires it is seeking expansion, otherwise it will shrivel and die. And this is the start of it. This far and no more.

READ MORE: Ukraine should never join EU – Dutch Prime Minister

RT: The leader of UKIP Nigel Farage says that the results of the vote are important for the British referendum on whether the UK should stay or leave the European Union. Are these votes really so strongly linked?

RF: Of course, I agree with him Nigel [Farage]. It is plain common sense. This is the turning of the tide.  This is the first chance that anyone in the EU, any of the nation states have had a chance for many years to say we’ve had enough now and this is where it starts to turn. There will be, I’m confident, a massive vote from the Dutch people to say we’ve had enough tonight.  Then that will feed on to our Brexit referendum when, I’m confident again, that we will restore nation state democracy to the countries of the European Union. And who knows, perhaps, by then, the Dutch themselves might get their own chance to say no and to leave. And then who knows where the cards may fall.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

Podcasts
0:00
26:13
0:00
24:57