"The EU was supposed to be about bringing countries and peoples together, not pushing them further apart", said ECR Group Co-Chair Ryszard Legutko during a debate today reviewing the Juncker Commission.

Legutko praised the outgoing President’s commitment to public service and several of his initiatives, however remarked that Juncker’s time in charge had been marked by a series of disappointments.

He said:

“I would like to thank the outgoing President for his commitment to public service. His initiatives to secure our energy supplies, drive investment into our economies and support small farmers should not go unnoticed.

“However, Mr. Juncker’s tenure has been marked by many disappointments. Losing the UK is a disappointment of historic proportions. The UK’s departure did not trigger a sustained period of reflection to look at the causes of what happened and why they decided to leave. Instead what should have been a period of inclusion has been marked by division.

“The outgoing commission embarked on the most sustained pursuit of democratic elected governments we have ever seen. Ignoring shocking double standards when preaching the importance of rules to one country, while turning a blind eye when others break rule after rule.

“One country was allowed to flout established migration rules, and to deal with the consequences a divisive policy was then imposed on Member States and voters who never wanted any part of it.”