A French EU politician certainly didn’t mince his words when sharing his opinion on Brexit.
Speaking to French broadcaster BFMTV, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton made his feelings on the topic clear, branding Brexit an “economic catastrophe.”
He blamed it on the UK’s current lorry driver shortage, along with empty supermarket shelves and the recent petrol crisis.
Breton said: “Look at what’s going on with store shelves ... with the restocking of fuel ... with the lack of nurses and doctors ... with the truck driver shortage [and] with everything construction. What’s going on these days is a disaster.”
“What is currently happening is a real drama,” he added.
“Consider that after they said they could regain prosperity, which meant to some extent that every EU national would be kicked out — at least a large part of them — well now they need to come back, because nurses are missing. There’s 100,000 truck drivers missing ... It is what it is and we deplore it,” he added.
Though his strong remarks didn’t surprise British people who agreed with Breton’s opinion.
Physicist declares sky is blue. https://t.co/wBM4olBwH6
— James Harrison (@jharrison_94) October 26, 2021
never knew ! https://t.co/M3pLnXG2fT
— kitty . dark for rosegron (@anyagron) October 26, 2021
Added to my folder labeled 'no shit Sherlock'
— Alison Hayward (@alimhay) October 26, 2021
If only anyone had warned us. https://t.co/jhd8dvHEka
https://t.co/ONjVP8P56N pic.twitter.com/4T8f3F4ilA
— Craig Warren Gordon 👻🕸 (@CraigGordon1) October 26, 2021
Water is wet https://t.co/jsIHD8IDUv
— fraser john (@mcph3e) October 26, 2021
https://t.co/l4NIYGsDJE pic.twitter.com/u8rQsv1tjm
— Tom 🇪🇺🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🌻 (@TomSingleton4) October 26, 2021
https://t.co/Jgh4JLtpCC pic.twitter.com/KH8cwwUyox
— Despicable Ruz (@Feldegar) October 26, 2021
Of course, as ever with Twitter, some people didn’t agree with Breton’s opinion and argued that he had some bias in this situation.
Former partner says their ex is doing badly without them #ThatOldChestnut https://t.co/YLfMRKRu9g
— Si (@SiBDJ) October 26, 2021
Britain told Brussels in 2016 that the EU is a catastrophe for Europe.
— Aman Bhogal 🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@AmandeepBhogal) October 26, 2021
We did well to Get Brexit Done and take back control.
🇬🇧 https://t.co/qFnJwXnXyC
I think France has enough to worry about. https://t.co/ytLBt6sHzI
— V (@ChopperVee) October 26, 2021
Well he’s not gonna say it went well is he
— 👑 (@WhoIsThePrince) October 26, 2021
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage had plenty to say as he reacted to Breton’s comments on GB News - and took the opportunity to make some bizarre historical references.
'Boris, step up, defend the Channel Islands, defend our fishermen... Now is the moment for a dose of nationalism'@Nigel_Farage reacts to Thierry Breton calling Brexit an 'economic catastrophe' pic.twitter.com/kaOgjaUGHr
— GB News (@GBNEWS) October 26, 2021
“All over the world major supply chain problems- partly caused by the pandemic, but mostly caused by what governments have done to create more money.”
“Folks it’s called inflation, you haven’t seen it for 35 years but it’s back and it’s here to stay,” he said of the shortages and supply chain problems.
“The real point here is the French thought the European Union was their way of getting back after everything after everything since 1066,” referring to the Battle of Hastings where the Norman army of Duke William of Normandy conquered England.
“Brexit to them is they’ve control of the Brits, they lost control of the Anglo-Saxons and they hate that concept,” Farage continued. “So you get these idiot French politicians coming out and saying all this nonsense.”
Breton also commented on the escalating fishing row between the UK and France after the UK granted less than half of the Jersey fishing permits (12 of the 47) French boats applied for.
Now the French are reportedly going to respond with potential sanctions.
“We’ve seen a lot of bad faith from the British,” Breton said. “We’re used to this game now.” Though he explained that “200 permits have been granted, so it’s moving forward.”
