EU and Africa to ‘TAKE OVER THE WORLD’: Bono urges bloc to sideline US in jarring speech

The U2 frontman urged European Parliament president Antonio Tajani to campaign for the EU form close partnerships with the African continent while meeting the bloc’s most senior officials in the Belgian capital.

Bono – whose real name is Paul David Hewson – has been drafted in by EU officials in a desperate bid to encourage would-be voters to the ballot box for the 2019 European elections.

The millionaire luvvie told reporters: “While America is on its holiday from big ideas, we should sit across the table with our African partners, as equals, and take over the world.”

Bono, a vocal political activist, was in Brussels as the co-founder of ONE, his global campaign against extreme poverty, to discuss the EU’s programme in Africa.

A EU Parliament source said: “The meeting was a good opportunity for Tajani to update Bono on EU action in this area and to discuss what more needs to be done to tackle poverty in Africa.”

Bono’s presence inside the European Parliament virtually brought the institution’s Altiero Spinelli building to standstill as its open corridors were shutdown by security – a level of safety not even afforded to Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar.

The U2 frontman will also meet European Council President Donald Tusk as part of the bloc’s efforts to woo the potential European voters.

Speaking in the Parliament, Bono called on more artists to celebrate the “romance” of Europe when the EU’s values are being questioned. But, refused to comment on Brexit as a potential reason.

Describing himself as “European as well as Irish”, Bono suggested that Europe had lost out from the lack of positive artistic treatment given to the United States in movies and songs.

He said: “If you think about the mythology of America and you think about Hollywood and how Hollywood perpetuated the idea of the American dream.

“When you think about artists involved in the project that is Europe, it’s not that many.

“I think we need more as people are questioning Europe.”