• European Parliament, Strasbourg - 14 September 2011

• Speaker: Nigel Farage MEP, UKIP, Co-President of the EFD Group in the European Parliament (Europe of Freedom and Democracy)

• Debate: European Council and Commission statements - Economic crisis and the euro (in the presence of President Barroso)

- 'Blue Card' question by Phillippe Lamberts (Belgoium) - Greens

• Speech Transcript:

I noticed during your speech Mr Barroso there was an all pervading sense of gloom. I saw for the first time, even your supporters shaking their heads, they don't believe it what you are saying, the European people don't believe in what you are saying, and I don't really think even you now believe in what you are saying.

We all know that Greece is going to default; the end game for Greece is near. And you can't say you were not warned. You were told that Treaties were fatally flawed, you were all told that Greece should never have joined the Euro and when I stood up here and talked about Greek bond spreads you treated me with such utter derision it was as if I had just been let out of the local lunatic asylum. No, you have been warned all the way through.

So now what you have got is Economic Governance and everybody here on the front row supports more European Economic Governance. What is European Economic Governance? I'll tell you what it is.

It is a plane landing at Athens airport out of which get an official from the Commission, an official from the ECB and an official from the appalling IMF. Those three people, the Troika you call them, go in meet the Greek Government and tell the Greek Government what they may of may not do. You have killed Democracy in Greece. You have three part-time overseas dictators now telling the Greek people what they can and cannot do. It is totally unacceptable.

It is any wonder that the Greek people are burning EU flags and drawing swastikas on them. Unless Greece is allowed to get out of this economic and political prison, you may well spark a revolution in that country.

I suppose there is some good news at least, and that is that people in Germany, right up to the President are waking up realise that this process represents the death of democracy. None of this can work and the German people will simply refuse in the end to pay the bill. The one achievement is that you have split Europe between North and South, the Greeks now badmouth the Germans, the Germans now badmouth the Greeks.

I have one last plea Mr Barroso, will you please help Greece. Help her to get her currency back, help her to reschedule her debts, help her to get out of the mess you have put her into. You policies have failed, stand up, be a man, admit it.