European politics

This is what happened a few days ago in the European Parliament:

We were told that when we had a president, we'd see a giant global political figure - the man that would be the political leader for 500 million people. The man that would represent all of us on the world stage. The man whose job was so important that of course you're paid more than President Obama. Well, I'm afraid what we've got was you. And I'm sorry, but after that performance, earlier, that you gave - and I don't want to be rude - but, you know, really, you have the charisma of a damp rag and the appearance of a low-grade bank clerk. And the question that I want to ask is: Who are you? I'd never heard of you; nobody in Europe has ever heard of you. I would like to ask you, president, who voted for you? Is this European democracy? Well, I sense though that you're competent and capable and dangerous, and I have no doubt that it's your intention to be the quiet assassin of European democracy and of the European nation states. You appear to have a loathing for the very concept of the existence of nation states - perhaps that's because you come from Belgium, which of course is pretty much a non-country.

Well, Mr. Nigel Farage was quite wrong about the last statement, actually Mr. Van Rompuy is not from France.