JEAN-CLAUDE Juncker has demanded further expansion of the EU despite widespread anger at the bloc’s federalist stance.
The unelected European Commission president made the plea after bizarrely claiming the EU’s current rate of growth is “mediocre”.
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The EU has faced a wave of populist backlash from disgruntled voters across the bloc since last year’s stunning Brexit vote.
But he insisted: “I want to tell the traditional parties that populism will end up defeated. It can not advance.”
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Jean-Claude Juncker claimed the EU’s current rate of expansion is ‘mediocre’
The Commission president went on to attack Catalonia‘s bid to break away from Spain.
“We cannot stay with our arms crossed because it is time for us to do what needs to be done.
“Without Spain, our European Union would be incomplete.”
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The European Commission president railed against Catalonia’s bid for independence
“For all of this, we need patience, but also determination.”
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The secessionist drive has dragged Spain into its worst political crisis since the 1970s
He said: “Juncker has supported the Spanish government’s actions, has expressed his respect for our constitution, our laws and our legal system.”
Additional reporting by Maria Ortega
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